A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 2; 1st Edition
26.2 miles raced?? miles to go
Race: Washington's Birthday Marathon
Place: Greenbelt, MD
Miles from home: 19.1
Course Difficulty: 7 out of 10
Course Enjoyability: 2 out of 10
Weather: 20s and got lower, extremely windy, bright sunshine.
Finishers' Medal: 5.5 out of 10
Donations To Date: ~39k
At least I can consolidate.
Coming into this race, the windiest race I had ever done was a toss-up between the Nova Scotia Marathon with the gusts of the tail end of Tropical Storm Beryl reaching 50 miles per hour and the Mercedes Marathon in Birmingham, AL with constant bone-chilling winds. The coldest race by sheer temperature was hands-down Washington's Birthday Marathon in 2006.
Well, they are all now beat by this year's rendition of the Washington's Birthday Marathon which had temperatures that began at 24 degrees and unfortunately steadily declined throughout the day in spite of (or perhaps because of) the clear skies overhead. Throw in the wind which got worse by the hour (even though the race started at 10:30 AM which gave us all hopes of the warmest temps possible) and this was one of the most difficult races I have run to date.
The Course:
Click Here for a Map
When looking over my recap of this race last year, I noticed it was rather bereft of detail about the course itself. Of course, it was rather bereft of detail period but that was my modus operandi for the beginning of Fiddy2. You see, for the first half of the year in 2006, I was unaware if anyone was even reading my recaps so they were hardly as detailed as they would become in the latter half of the year. Plus, I had not found the places to post them such as coolrunning.com, runningtimes.com and the like, where people actually did that sort of thing. So simply talking about myself to the ether made no sense at all as I could not tell if my posts were helping someone. When I established people might like to hear about a race from a runner's perspective, I beefed those recaps up a great deal. Knowledge not shared is wasted. Also, I think a year ago, my feeling was I would never run this course again and therefore decided to conveniently forget about it. Too bad forgetting about it did not stop me from doing it again.
When I rate a course I do not often count the weather into its difficulty. But after two consecutive years of the same weather (and word from veterans that it never changes at this time of the year) in this case I have to factor it into the equation. The wind one faced at certain points whipping across fields was brutal and relentless. Almost standing me straight up at times in my tracks (and at approximately 180 pounds it is a stiff wind that can move me) I feel bad for anyone smaller or not running in tandem with someone else.
The course starts off on a slight uphill as you wind through the neighborhood of Greenbelt before you traverse a long steady downhill. Having run the course before, you know this will be the bane of your existence later when you have to run back up it. You then turn left and make a 300-foot jog into a brisk wind, turn around and backtrack. Another quarter of a mile later you begin what is the first of three loops of approximately seven miles. While each loop contains some rolling hills in the first three miles, there is nothing here, which is extremely difficult. The wind I spoke of earlier either stays at your back or is blocked by the trees as you run along slightly winding country (but paved) roads. Not closed to traffic the race leaves you with little to worry about, as traffic is light to non-existent. In the summer, I have a feeling this would be a very nice training run. With country air, enough hills to keep it interesting and even just minutes from D.C.'s beltway you feel like you are miles away from any hustle and bustle.
After these first few miles you then make a sharp left turn and begin a downhill run for a half-mile or so. Unfortunately, this is where the wind blowing off of a large field cuts into you like a hot knife through butter. This wind continues, off and on through the next few miles as you hit a series of hills growing in both length and grade. I would say it is just happenstance that the wind was bad in these certain places but it happened in the exact same places, with the exact same ferocity on each loop (until it picked up in the end which I will get to it).
After a brief respite from the wind, and with about two miles to go in each loop, you traverse down a highway and up a long curving road where the wind picks up with a vengeance. Then down the back end of this hill and then almost immediately back up a much shorter but much steeper hill that leads to the relay exchange point and the beginning on the next loop.
On your third and final loop you pass through here and backtrack to that original steep downhill and realize it us much worse going back up after 25 miles than it was going down after one.
Through a winding hilly trail you race down a path in the back of peoples yards and cross a pink chalked finish line with a cone and a guy with a stopwatch. This is one of the most innocuous finish lines you will find. No problem there. Fanfare is rarely what a lot of us runners are after.
My race: 1st loop
What promised to be a sunny day with a high near 38 with no wind was nothing like that at all. MY good friend Katie and I (who were celebrating our one year and one week of knowing each other by running our fourth marathon together) were both rather underdressed for the weather which actually occurred but figured we would be fine once the race started. Both wearing shorts and long sleeves we were no match for the guy who passed me to get the start line wearing nothing but shorts and a singlet. As this race has a relay, and many people pay the miniscule fee ($25) to run a measured course as a long run for Boston or what have you, I figured he would be doing the first nine plus miles and calling it quits. And when the race started and he took off like he was shot out of a cannon I figured my assumption was right.
An interesting character I saw at this race last year (and at one or two other races as well) is a longhaired older gentleman who runs full marathons with two border collies. Unleashed they do a "pretty" good job of staying out of the way but they are still dogs. And when they would get too far ahead and shoot back they would slightly get underfoot. Now, I think it is cool as heck that these two bandana-wearing pups will do 26.2 miles but I also think there is a time and a place for it and at the beginning of the pack is not it. Knowing this, and also knowing that this older chap has this excruciatingly annoying way of either breathing/reeling in the pups or both where every exhale is a high pitched wheeze I was glad I was planning on running hard today to put distance between us as well as for the new ear warmer I had on which muffled a ton of noise. Nevertheless, it was 6 miles before the last of his "Wheeee. Wheeee. Wheeee" faded into the distance. Running has characters.
I only saw Katie once in the race and it was on that initial 300-yard turn around. I wished her good luck and set out to see whether 6 weeks "off" from running marathons had either left me rusty or rested or a combination of both. With the Near-Naked Singlet wonder fading into the distance quickly, there was only slight Ethiopian runner and one other chap wearing headphones in front of me to contend with until around mile 4. Here a girl I recognized as being a runner in the area passed me. I caught up to her, chatted to her a bit and found out she (Emily) was going to run 17 miles of this race today in order to test her body out for Boston. So we more or less ran the rest of the loop together and shared some stories. I occasionally broke some of the wind for her as it always makes me feel good to help another runner. I told her to get ready for the big hills before the end of the first loop and we soldiered on
2nd loop:
Immediately after the exchange area I pulled over to the side of the road and made quick bathroom break. In almost no time at all I had caught up to Emily but could not find the headphone guy anywhere. Having had him in sight when I went to the bathroom I could not believe he had pulled away this quickly. So I was in limbo as to what place I actually was in. Was it 2nd, 3rd, or 4th?
Passing through the halfway point at 1:30:04, I was a little disappointed that my earlier mile splits of ~ 6:44 had obviously slowed a little bit. I felt strong here but knew I had much longer to go. Turning down the windy stretch I glance to my side and saw a chap in a white shirt with a red hat (White Shirt/Red Hat Guy). Sort of bummed there was another runner in the mix for the top 3 spots I soldiered on. Two miles later he was even closer. By the time we crested the summit into the exchange area he was right on my heels. Emily had pulled over, her work done, and wished me good luck
3rd loop:
I could hear White Shirt/Red Hat Guy behind me but decided to make him work for it. It took him a mile to pass me. And even when he did, every time we hit an uphill I gained ground. Psychologically, this is huge for me given how much I despise uphills. Hitting 20 miles and the downhill wind stretch again, he opened up more breathing room. Still on pace to go sub 3:10 (I thought a 3:08 was possible) I just tried to look inward to stay focused. My running was strong and and running a decent last 10k would put me in the 3:08 range.
Let me break away from the running here to mention the weather. It was bitter cold. Even with the sun shining to help heat you, whenever the wind tore though you it felt like your core had just turned to ice. Breathing was rather difficult as well and whenever you hit any semblance of a hill it always seemed to coincide with the open field wind, which almost stopped you in your tracks.
While my time had slipped a little from miles 13 to 20, in the next 2 miles it slipped even more. Actually, it was more than a slip. It was a fall. But by now I had looked to tricks I use when I get tired and I decided to break the remainder of the race into two separate 2-mile runs, convincing myself this was easier. Here is where it gets interesting. Stay with me on this one.
As I start down the highway, I see a guy in a singlet ahead of me. Is this the guy who took off like a shot at the beginning of the race? Sure enough it is and he is struggling with a capital ain't-gonna-make-it. I cannot believe he is out here dressed like this. He is teetering on the point of collapse (not unlike that guy in the Gatorade commercial at the end of the Ironman Triathlon) and I am sincerely worried for his health. Obviously a youngster (not even 20 and that is a stretch) he obviously underestimated not only the course, but the distance and the weather as well. I pass a volunteer and said: "He needs help. Now." A woman hopped out of her car wearing race insignia, nodded and said: "We are pulling him."
So, now I have about three miles to go and worse case scenario has me in 4th. Headphone guy, Ethiopian and White Shirt/Red Hat Guy are in front of me. At least I think so. Cresting the longest windiest hill, I stop for a short walk break. I was just spent. A black gentleman (I do not use African-American because, well his ancestors might not be from Africa and I am not politically correct) stood at the top of this hill the entire race with a radio blasting. Cheering every runner that went by, he was not only there last year when I ran but apparently has been there a multitude of years. As I paused to give him one last weak smile and wave of thanks, Ethiopian guy zips by me. What the …?
I know for a fact that I never passed him. How did he get behind me? It is virtually impossible to veer off this course. While I had a small complaint with the number of aid stations on this course (it could have used one more on each loop) I have no complaint about the volunteers who directed traffic, stopped vehicles from entering traffic ramps when we were crossing and pointed everyone in the right direction. Kudos to these volunteers who had to stand out in the bitter cold as we ran by. But there is no way he could have gotten lost (his claim after the race) and still had the energy he did. I am not saying he cheated but something is amiss here that is for sure.
Now, I am completely confused as to my place. It should not have mattered and I should have pressed forward regardless, but I honestly was completely wiped of energy. The smallest things can bring you down in a marathon. Down the steep other side of the hill and then up the other hill to the final relay exchange passing, I look behind me and two more people have appeared, rapidly approaching. I feel sapped but am doing my best to hold them off. Down the hill out of the relay exchange we go back onto the final stretch. Right before the mile 25 marker, the two guys pass me. I know have no idea if they are relay guys, what place I am in or if I have the energy to tackle this final horrible hill.
And just as the smallest thing can bring you down, it is amazing how just the slightest falter or misstep by a runner in front of you can give you an edge. While the Ethiopian guy seemed out of reach, the four of us were battling for the remaining spots. Just then White Shirt/Red Hat Guy started walking up the hill. Both of the other two do a little walking as well. From my experience I know that small walk breaks invigorate me so I decide to grab 10 steps of a break and then take off. Before I do, one of the guys in front of me begins to do a little stutter step and falters sideways. Here is my break. Filled with energy, I start running.
Finish
More people changed position in this last half mile than in any race I have ever been involved with. Blue Shirt Guy and the Falterer both pass White Shirt/Red Hat Guy. Falterer immediately begins walking and White Shirt/Red Hat Guy passes him. Blue Shirt Guy then gets within striking distance of Ethiopian Guy (who must have been crawling as I have no idea how we caught him). EG sees BSG and takes off. I use this as my opportunity to surge pass the Falterer and stop just short of White Shirt/Red Hat Guy. Using a speed bump almost like a starting block I push down and begin to sprint. I pass White Shirt/Red Hat Guy and am on the heels of BSG. EG is now half a block ahead as he has crested the hill and stated on is descent. Feeling I am now in third, I just want to make sure White Shirt/Red Hat Guy doesn't catch the same wind as I did and I high-tail it after BSG. BSG and I sprint down the hill after EG. EG turns under a bridge and gets ready for that final push. I look back and see that White Shirt/Red Hat Guy is nowhere to be found. Nor is Falterer. I smile a little bit.
With .2 of a mile left BSG puts on a futile push to try and get EG but falls short. I ease in comfortably behind BSG and smile a bit more. My time (3:14:33) was nowhere near what I was hoping for but I had 3rd place! The guy takes my tag off and says: "Fourth!"
My jaw drops. Who else was in front of us? Headphone guy? Who? No one has any idea as the guy finished nearly 15 minutes before the rest of us and has long since passed. I am at a loss. Few things can be worse than finishing 4th and out of the placing when you thought you were. EG, BSG and I finished within a minute of each other. Just like that, I went from elation to disappointment.
Now all I can think about is how exhausted and cold I am and how poor little Katie has got to be frozen. As I send my good friend Anne to grab me two jackets from my car, I say hello to my friend Jenny who has been waiting at the finish line for me. All of a sudden, the enormity of the effort I just put out hits me. I need to either sit down or I will be falling down. Jenny ushers me to her car. Before I know it, time has passed and Katie has finished in a stellar 3:30, taking 2nd place overall of the women. On this course on this day, that time is just wonderful. I go out to congratulate her, say goodbye to Jenny and almost collapse. Tiny Katie begins to walk me back to the warmth of the nearby building where we convened before the race for some food and drink. At one point I had to lay down on my hands and knees on the path and stop the dizzies. I have never felt like this before. Not this exhausted or tired. I am almost embarrassed. It is my 65th marathon! I should not be laid low by cold weather!
We finally make it back to the gym, hook up with Anne, grab Katie's award and try to warm up. It still takes me quite some time before I am able to stop shaking and hold a cup. I downed some chili, some peanut butter bread and about half a dozen cookies before swallowing two piping-hot mugs of hot chocolate. Anne and Katie took care of me while I scanned the area where I sat. Near Naked Singlet guy is swaddled in a blanket nearby. I asked him what the hell was he thinking. His response: "A 2:40 marathon." Running has it characters.
Continuing with my disappointment of "almosts" I got the news when I got home that I had not won the contest to run the North Pole Marathon but was rather the runner-up. Quite bittersweet to have two near victories barely tasted before they were pulled away all in a matter of hours. But disappointment, if you can handle it properly, is an excellent motivator. I am not saying I would not like things to come easier but when they do not, I feel I can indeed use it to press on. In fact, I might just run a 24-hour race in Virginia the weekend where I was hoping to be in Santa's backyard. I began planning that about 7 minutes after I found out I had not won the contest. Digest your defeats and move on.
I have 2 weeks until I test my legs in a 50k. I am going to try my best to just use it as a training run for my 100 mile race in June. But I make no promises of holding back.
Final synopsis: I was rested but not enough. I was rusty but not enough that it hurt me. The Washington Birthday Marathon on this day was not the race to test to see where I was fitness wise.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Old Dominion 100 Mile Recap - My Race
Old Dominion 100 Mile Cross Country Run
A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 2; 9th Edition
257.7 miles raced in 2007
Race: Old Dominion 100 Mile Cross Country Run
Place: Woodstock, VA
Miles from home: 90
Course Difficulty: 10 out of 10
Course Enjoyability: 3 out of 10
Weather: Humid, stormy, 60-90s;
Finishers' Medal: N/A
It is difficult to write down the feelings for a race which one did not finish. I know the ending and it is not a happy one. But it was an ending I chose and I think I chose correctly.
To begin, before anything else is said, I must thank my crew of Christine and Katie. Lord knows how much further short of my goal I would have fallen if not for their efforts to get me on my feet and have everything else I needed. As I mentioned earlier (yes MUCH earlier, like page one of this recap), I feel the ultra community thrives on a lone wolf mentality and being able to do everything without help. This was no more evident than at the pit crew stations. As I copped a squat for a quick breather and one of my crew would give me a banana or fill my water bottle, other crew people for other runners, or loved ones who, I guess, showed up only to say “way to go” as their husband ran by as I never saw them do much of anything, seemed utterly shocked at how much I was being “pampered”. I do not think they were repulsed but surprised. Honestly, I do not see the point of having a crew if they are not going to do the things that the runner does not necessarily have to do. Luckily for me, I was quite adept at picking my crew and they saw it exactly the same way. So, whether it was retying my shoes for me or having the exact food ready for me as I wanted it when I came tumbling in, I knew no matter how tired I was, my crew would do everything they could short of throwing me on their shoulders and running the course for me. Thank you, ladies.
The race started early. 4AM. I now have a race which beats the Cayman Islands Marathon for earliest start ever (it previously held the record at 5 AM). Yet, in spite the relatively little lack of sleep I was raring to go. I had many grandiose thoughts coming into this race with oodles of goals, sub goals and must-haves, and after weeks of waiting it was finally time to run.
I knew I was under-trained for this race. That’s a fact. But I would not have started if I thought I was going to be doing something detrimental to my health. Looking over the field the night before, I only saw a few people that I thought would be problematic to me taking a top slot. One was Keith Knipling who I knew was going to be an issue. Keith is an absolutely amazing ultrarunner we was running his 3rd 100 mile race in 3 weeks. Please read that again. Just astounding. I could only hope he was extremely tired and I was extremely ready and I could be extremely close to him at the end to out-kick him.
But that is getting a little bit ahead of myself. Like 100 miles ahead. As we all milled around before the start, most of our minds were to the weather forecast. With a high predicted of 90 degrees, I knew we were all hoping something would blow in to take that away. Like the scattered thunderstorms predicted for early afternoon. Or snow.
After an impromptu prayer from the starter, the gun went off (I think it was a gun) and away we went. Almost immediately, three runners took off and began to separate themselves from the group. I fell back and saw that I was running with one guy pretty much stride for stride, so I struck up a conversation. Bob Oberkehr was his name and he was a 4-time finisher of this race. I decided to pick his brain for info I could not find elsewhere hoping to glean a tidbit here or there.
The miles ticked by and we passed the first aid station, which consisted of a water cooler. A week prior to the race, I had decided to purchase a Camelback water carrying system to wear on my back rather than rely on the one waist bottle I had worn previously. So instead of the 20oz of fluid the bottle carried, the Camelback had 50. As such, I did not see the need to stop here but continued on. Bob, only carrying a handheld water bottle grabbed a quick drink. While I continued, I did so slowly because I wanted Bob to catch up so I could have a pacer and guide. Sure enough, Bob did and we resumed our running.
Before long we began our gradual ascent of the first big hill of the race, Woodstock Gap. Climbing 1100 feet in under 4.2 miles, Bob mentioned that this portion of the race was where most would walk. Given that I was trying to stick to a solid, run the downhills and straight-aways and walk the uphills plan, I too thought about that. However, Bob continued to run. I found that my fast power walk kept up with him for the most part so we soldiered on together. Almost at the top, we passed an older gentleman named Jamshid who Bob seemed to know. Given his slow gait I was curious how he had gotten so far ahead of us so quickly but Bob said he was a great ultrarunner. We exchanged pleasantries and then passed him putting Bob and me in a tie for 4th place overall.
1st Pit Crew Station (Mile 19.64): Total time: 3:36
Together Bob and I stayed for the next 13 miles until the first time I got to see Christine and Katie at the aid station at mile 20. I felt pretty good here, ate a banana and promised to eat a Gu soon. I really didn’t feel that hungry or thirsty, so after 4 minutes I was out of the aid station and on my way. I guess people often spend about that much time or less at these stations but I did not mind the pause. I was already far ahead of my goal pace for the day so slowing down felt good.
As I kicked out of my chair and got on my way, I made a note to the girls that my trail shoes had started to give me a small blister. I was hoping it would not get worse. I noticed Bob had taken off before me but in a matter of seconds I caught him. He told me the next 13 miles were nothing but road and a strong road runner could make up some time right here. Soon thereafter, almost inadvertently, I began to peel away from Bob. Sad to say this is the last time I would see him as around mile 22 I left him for good and took over sole possession of 3rd place.
Much to my shock, about 2 miles later another runner came into focus. Already running and then walking on the straight-aways was a gentleman I met the day before, Andy Kumeda. We spoke for a bit before he said to go on ahead because he was already ahead of his pace. I obliged and by mile 25 or so was sitting in second place. At one aid station soon thereafter, a nice little family said hello and told me the leader was only about 26 minutes ahead of me. Somehow that sounded ok at the time.
As the sun came out and the temperature started to climb, the beautifully cool morning slipped away. I found myself no longer running tangents like I would in a marathon but rather running in the shade where I could. I did not wish to melt.
2nd Pit Crew Station (Mile 32.55): Total Time: 5:29
I rolled into here and told my crew I needed to change shoes. The trail shoes had started a blister I did not wish to deal with any longer. Staying a little longer than I hoped to, I was at this stop for a little over 12 minutes. But the change of shoes was necessary and as I pulled out to head up the first truly steep climb of the day, Andy came by saying: “What are you still doing here?” I couldn’t believe I had made up 12 minutes or more on him in 7 miles. This should have been a warning sign I was going too fast and should slow down. Fortunately, no one needed to tell me slow down as the first hill out of the aid station forced me to take a slower approach.
My first extended walk of the day had me feeling a little tired and hot. Only 1/3 of the way done I was hoping that this feeling wouldn’t continue. Hitting a trail section that had worse footing and was steeper than the road did not help much either but I trooped on knowing a downhill followed. Sure enough I hit the downhill, only to remember that soon I would be hitting the trail once again. Maybe if I knew the difficulty of the next section I would not have been so beaten down by it but one thing is for certain and that is this section got to me. Inwardly I was picturing others scaling this section as if I were frozen in time. However, as the horseflies buzzed around me incessantly and would simply not be discouraged no matter how much arm waving I did, unbeknownst to me, this was one of the hardest portions of the race and no one was making up any time.
With the sun blazing in the sky and a tough climb going on under my feet, this information would have helped me as I began to hit a mental low point. However, I knew if I could push on to the next pit crew station I would have been in 2nd place for 25 miles and that would make me feel good.
Hitting the first weigh-in station I found I had lost 6 lbs. However, I had weighed in the night before, only an hour after I had eaten, and here I was dying of thirst, so I did not feel too worried. I knew my pit crew had food and liquid for me in a few short miles. So, half to get rolling, half to get the one little kid at the aid station to quit talking to me, I scampered along. Sweet kid, though.
3rd Pit Crew Station (Mile 47.70): Total Time: 8:59
Unfortunately, I needed to have another shoe change here. Something was wrong with my blisters and I needed to reapply some moleskin the girls had put on my feet my first time through this aid station and change my socks, all of which added to my total sit down time of 16 minutes. I did not tell anyone that about 2 miles back I had done a little bit of vomiting. Having been so thirsty at the Super Happy Funtime Talking Aid Station, I had swallowed a few too many glasses of water and began my run down the long steep hill. Well the water didn’t sit right with me and some of it came back up. No biggie but I knew others would be worried so I kept it to myself. I took a quick glance at the thermometer that someone had sitting by the road (which, ironically, Christine, would not double as a compass) and saw it was 88 degrees. It was only 12:30 PM. Uh oh.
My legs were a little tight coming out of the aid station but everything else was pretty decent. I was peeing rather frequently and it was relatively clear which showed I was not dehydrated. I knew I had a big hill to climb coming up so I simply acquiesced that I would be walking once again. And walk I did. At the mile 50 mark, I thought it was really nice of the race directors to paint a big old “50” on the road and I passed it at exactly 9:33:03. I had 14.5 hours to do the next 50 miles and still get a Belt Buckle. No problem.
Before too long the skies darkened, the clouds rolled in and rain began to pour out of the sky. I suddenly felt invigorated. Unfortunately, I still had a great deal of hill climbing to go and could not run but felt my core had been cooled exponentially. I just hoped the rain would keep on because as soon as it stopped I knew the humidity was going to skyrocket. A few miles later, the rain stopped. The humidity skyrocketed. Damn, I really hate being right all the time. The only saving grace was I began to actually be able to run downhill again.
4th Pit Crew Station (Mile 56.57): Total time 10:55
As the miles ebbed away I came upon the next Pit Crew Station. The girls cheered for me like crazy which completely baffled two backpackers who had just popped out of the roads. As I passed them I heard: “Must be a race or something.” “Oh, they are cheering for him!” This gave me a little giggle.
Spending far less time here than at previous aid stations (just under 8 minutes) I was able to joke that my definition of “uphill” in my “walk all the uphills” plan was growing grayer as the day went on. Hearing that competitors were closer to me than I had hoped, I lingered no longer and began to tackle the ATV trail section of the course. When the girls told me to get my butt moving I did the only thing a reasonable adult should do at this point in the race. I mooned them. I hear the backpackers laughed.
Wishing to keep the lead on those closing in (one was last year’s woman winner, the other was the only other guy I had been worried about previously) I took the uphills slow through this section but knowing there was a big downhill coming up, used my strength in this portion of running to take off. After dodging the Flying Wallenda Brothers on their damn ATVs, I was able to pick up more and more time and before I knew it I was cruising into the next stop.
5th Pit Crew Station (Mile 64.25): Total Time 12:35
Eating a grilled cheese sandwich my girls prepared for me, I was delighted to learn I had opened up 10 more minutes on my competitors behind me. Unfortunately, I think I was beginning to pay the price for pushing so hard. Spending less than 8 minutes here, I was on my feet and out of the area as quickly as possible. I later learned that when my competitors rolled into this area, they had no idea I was in front of them. They only knew of Keith Knipling and knew they had no shot of catching him. Apparently, when some people told them I was only 10-15 minutes in front of them, they grabbed food by the fistful and sped out of the aid station spending no more than 2 minutes there. My girls were none too happy at all.
I, oblivious to this, was soldiering up another long hill. A few miles later the rain began to pour again. I was hoping it would energize me like previously but this time it just gave me soggy shoes. And with a long section coming up where any rain whatsoever turns the area into a river I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Apparently, those runners who were half an hour behind me never even experienced this torrent on the trail as when the rain stopped, so went the rivulets. Lucky bastards. I, on the other hand, was forced to walk in ankle deep water and I could feel the sloshing in my shoes contributing to my already tiring and blistered feet.
6th Pit Crew Station (Mile 74.95): Total Time 15:17
After lots of sloshing and trail running and sore and tired legs, the miles were finally getting to me. I was beginning to lose time to all of those around me but was happy to pull in to Elizabeth Furnace having been in 2nd place for 50 miles. I weighed in for the second time and was not surprised to see I had only lost one more pound. I had not been running hard enough in the past few miles to spend too many calories and was taking in liquid like a sponge. I just wanted to get off the scale and get moving. Unfortunately, as I had my socks and shoes removed in favor of drier shoes and clean socks, as well as surgery being done to the blisters on my feet, my competition rolled into the aid station behind me.
Without a doubt, while I continued on from here, this is the point where I lost the race. Knowing I was already tired and seeing how strong these other two runners looked, as well as knowing they knew what lie ahead having run the race before, left me without much heart. The woman took off before I did and soon thereafter, I in my bandaged feet, followed. This part of the course is the only place where a runner can have a “safety runner” otherwise known as a pacer. Katie volunteered and I accepted.
I will not dwell too much on the negative here but after the other man who came in behind me at the aid station passed me a minute or so later, I was feeling pretty low. I could not get my legs going and had more or less come to the realization that I was going to be walking a good part of this section of the course. Suffice it to say, the Sherman’s Gap portion of the course was absolutely brutal. Almost straight up and then straight down for a total of 6 miles left me spent like I have never been spent before. Yet in spite of this, and the lack of a sufficient aid station at the end of this stretch, I still had high hopes. But as the night wore on, another runner passed me and my mindset was wrecked even more. The road we ventured onto off of the trail seemed impossibly steep and I could barely get moving.
Katie and I pulled into the next aid station and found out there was more trail ahead. This is where my spirit was finally broken. I simply could not handle more trails. I was finally cajoled into continuing by one of the volunteers (who was trying to be helpful, and was a really nice guy but given my state was really getting on my nerves!). I told Katie I was going to rest for five minutes and then decide what I wanted to do. Unfortunately, this chap kept talking to me. So much for rest! So, on my feet again, Katie and I started to climb. And climb. And climb. Sweet fancy Moses did we climb. It got to the point that the climbing was so ridiculous that we started to laugh at its sheer absurdity. Before much longer I knew I was done. Even though I realized I probably could have finished under the 28 hours and was pretty sure I might have still been able to buckle (under 24 hours), the fact remained that I was absolutely shattered in my mind. The darkness that Katie and I had been trudging through was almost suffocating given my exhaustion. I was shuffling like Frankenstein’s monster. And I had other goals on the horizon.
With a marathon in China in less than two weeks, I had to decide what was more important. Should I press on, hope to get a buckle and be bitterly disappointed if I wasted all that energy and all I did was finish? Or should I wrap it up, call it a day, learn from my experience and save myself as much as possible for China. Well, the latter won. As hard as it was to take as huge shot to my pride and pull out, the decision was made to stop at the next pit crew station.
I wish I could adequately describe how long it felt like it took to reach that final aid station. Forever is not a word I can properly use because it felt double that long. I made the decision to quit but I still had to walk miles before I could do so. How is that for sucking to high heaven? It is like in the olden days when the dad would make the kid go cut the switch with which he was to be swatted!
Finally, 4 hours and 49 minutes after I left Elizabeth Furnace, I arrived at Veach West (7th Pit Crew Station (Mile 86.67): Total Time 20:04) where Christine was waiting for me with a towel. (One more runner, a nice guy named Stephen from Missouri, who I had met the day before, had passed me a little while back, and when he asked how I was doing I told him I was done. He apparently told Christine who was sympathetically waiting with the security blanket of sorts). I sat for a while trying to figure out if I made the right decision but when I finally tried to move to get up to go to the car and nothing worked, I knew I had. I have never before been so utterly bereft of any energy. It was very similar to when you continue to suck on a straw hoping to find that one last droplet of Coke in the cup, hidden among the cubes of ice, and finally realize there is no Coke left, I too realized I was empty. I gave it all I had on this particular day.
I apparently was not the only one who gave it their all and fell short. Of the 25 starters, 10 others were unable to finish and, if I heard correctly, only 6 people finished under 24 hours. Keith ended up winning the race to complete a quite impressive 3 week stint. Kudos to him.
Let’s be clear, though. I failed. I have no problem with that word or that result. I think it was James russell Loweel who said: "Not failure, but low aim is a crime." My goal was not to run as many miles as I possibly could and then be happy with that total. My goal was to run 100 miles in under 24 hours and I did not accomplish it. I am not happy with the result. But I am happy with my decision. My first marathon ever was an abject failure in my terms. Yet I got back on that horse twice more in spite of both of those results being far below what I had hoped as well. Will I run another 100 mile race? I cannot say for sure. I do now know however that I have what I takes to pull out of a race when it is right for me to do so. I cannot say I will ever willingly DNF a race again. Heck, if I did not have this race in China in two weeks, chances are I would have kept on going, even though the thought of continuing on in the dark still gives me shivers right now.
So, I failed. I embrace that. Not because I enjoy the loss but rather because I think we live in a world where we coddle too much. It, unequivocally, sucks to not have finished that race this past weekend. But I, in no way, want sympathy for that nor do I wish to have congratulations for how far I went. If anything, I want kudos for having the brains to know what my body could do on a certain day and not trying to go further than I could in some attempt to prove anything to anyone. I will take the failure to heart, will learn from it, accept it, move on and succeed. Hopefully. Because nothing is guaranteed. Just because you have done something once, does not mean you will do it again. And just because you have done one thing well does not mean you will do it better the next time. Or ever.
Life is a crapshoot. Much of it is really not fun. But what makes life worth living are the good parts which, while often outnumbered, far exceed in quality that mass of crap we experience throughout our small time on this planet.
So, I have another race in less than two weeks. Then one a few weeks after that, and even more this summer. I obviously hope to do well at them all. I might not. But I can guarantee you there is one thing you will never have to worry that I did, fail or succeed, and that is to get it my best. With every thing I have.
And that, never, is failure.
For a complete course description, page down!
A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 2; 9th Edition
257.7 miles raced in 2007
Race: Old Dominion 100 Mile Cross Country Run
Place: Woodstock, VA
Miles from home: 90
Course Difficulty: 10 out of 10
Course Enjoyability: 3 out of 10
Weather: Humid, stormy, 60-90s;
Finishers' Medal: N/A
It is difficult to write down the feelings for a race which one did not finish. I know the ending and it is not a happy one. But it was an ending I chose and I think I chose correctly.
To begin, before anything else is said, I must thank my crew of Christine and Katie. Lord knows how much further short of my goal I would have fallen if not for their efforts to get me on my feet and have everything else I needed. As I mentioned earlier (yes MUCH earlier, like page one of this recap), I feel the ultra community thrives on a lone wolf mentality and being able to do everything without help. This was no more evident than at the pit crew stations. As I copped a squat for a quick breather and one of my crew would give me a banana or fill my water bottle, other crew people for other runners, or loved ones who, I guess, showed up only to say “way to go” as their husband ran by as I never saw them do much of anything, seemed utterly shocked at how much I was being “pampered”. I do not think they were repulsed but surprised. Honestly, I do not see the point of having a crew if they are not going to do the things that the runner does not necessarily have to do. Luckily for me, I was quite adept at picking my crew and they saw it exactly the same way. So, whether it was retying my shoes for me or having the exact food ready for me as I wanted it when I came tumbling in, I knew no matter how tired I was, my crew would do everything they could short of throwing me on their shoulders and running the course for me. Thank you, ladies.
The race started early. 4AM. I now have a race which beats the Cayman Islands Marathon for earliest start ever (it previously held the record at 5 AM). Yet, in spite the relatively little lack of sleep I was raring to go. I had many grandiose thoughts coming into this race with oodles of goals, sub goals and must-haves, and after weeks of waiting it was finally time to run.
I knew I was under-trained for this race. That’s a fact. But I would not have started if I thought I was going to be doing something detrimental to my health. Looking over the field the night before, I only saw a few people that I thought would be problematic to me taking a top slot. One was Keith Knipling who I knew was going to be an issue. Keith is an absolutely amazing ultrarunner we was running his 3rd 100 mile race in 3 weeks. Please read that again. Just astounding. I could only hope he was extremely tired and I was extremely ready and I could be extremely close to him at the end to out-kick him.
But that is getting a little bit ahead of myself. Like 100 miles ahead. As we all milled around before the start, most of our minds were to the weather forecast. With a high predicted of 90 degrees, I knew we were all hoping something would blow in to take that away. Like the scattered thunderstorms predicted for early afternoon. Or snow.
After an impromptu prayer from the starter, the gun went off (I think it was a gun) and away we went. Almost immediately, three runners took off and began to separate themselves from the group. I fell back and saw that I was running with one guy pretty much stride for stride, so I struck up a conversation. Bob Oberkehr was his name and he was a 4-time finisher of this race. I decided to pick his brain for info I could not find elsewhere hoping to glean a tidbit here or there.
The miles ticked by and we passed the first aid station, which consisted of a water cooler. A week prior to the race, I had decided to purchase a Camelback water carrying system to wear on my back rather than rely on the one waist bottle I had worn previously. So instead of the 20oz of fluid the bottle carried, the Camelback had 50. As such, I did not see the need to stop here but continued on. Bob, only carrying a handheld water bottle grabbed a quick drink. While I continued, I did so slowly because I wanted Bob to catch up so I could have a pacer and guide. Sure enough, Bob did and we resumed our running.
Before long we began our gradual ascent of the first big hill of the race, Woodstock Gap. Climbing 1100 feet in under 4.2 miles, Bob mentioned that this portion of the race was where most would walk. Given that I was trying to stick to a solid, run the downhills and straight-aways and walk the uphills plan, I too thought about that. However, Bob continued to run. I found that my fast power walk kept up with him for the most part so we soldiered on together. Almost at the top, we passed an older gentleman named Jamshid who Bob seemed to know. Given his slow gait I was curious how he had gotten so far ahead of us so quickly but Bob said he was a great ultrarunner. We exchanged pleasantries and then passed him putting Bob and me in a tie for 4th place overall.
1st Pit Crew Station (Mile 19.64): Total time: 3:36
Together Bob and I stayed for the next 13 miles until the first time I got to see Christine and Katie at the aid station at mile 20. I felt pretty good here, ate a banana and promised to eat a Gu soon. I really didn’t feel that hungry or thirsty, so after 4 minutes I was out of the aid station and on my way. I guess people often spend about that much time or less at these stations but I did not mind the pause. I was already far ahead of my goal pace for the day so slowing down felt good.
As I kicked out of my chair and got on my way, I made a note to the girls that my trail shoes had started to give me a small blister. I was hoping it would not get worse. I noticed Bob had taken off before me but in a matter of seconds I caught him. He told me the next 13 miles were nothing but road and a strong road runner could make up some time right here. Soon thereafter, almost inadvertently, I began to peel away from Bob. Sad to say this is the last time I would see him as around mile 22 I left him for good and took over sole possession of 3rd place.
Much to my shock, about 2 miles later another runner came into focus. Already running and then walking on the straight-aways was a gentleman I met the day before, Andy Kumeda. We spoke for a bit before he said to go on ahead because he was already ahead of his pace. I obliged and by mile 25 or so was sitting in second place. At one aid station soon thereafter, a nice little family said hello and told me the leader was only about 26 minutes ahead of me. Somehow that sounded ok at the time.
As the sun came out and the temperature started to climb, the beautifully cool morning slipped away. I found myself no longer running tangents like I would in a marathon but rather running in the shade where I could. I did not wish to melt.
2nd Pit Crew Station (Mile 32.55): Total Time: 5:29
I rolled into here and told my crew I needed to change shoes. The trail shoes had started a blister I did not wish to deal with any longer. Staying a little longer than I hoped to, I was at this stop for a little over 12 minutes. But the change of shoes was necessary and as I pulled out to head up the first truly steep climb of the day, Andy came by saying: “What are you still doing here?” I couldn’t believe I had made up 12 minutes or more on him in 7 miles. This should have been a warning sign I was going too fast and should slow down. Fortunately, no one needed to tell me slow down as the first hill out of the aid station forced me to take a slower approach.
My first extended walk of the day had me feeling a little tired and hot. Only 1/3 of the way done I was hoping that this feeling wouldn’t continue. Hitting a trail section that had worse footing and was steeper than the road did not help much either but I trooped on knowing a downhill followed. Sure enough I hit the downhill, only to remember that soon I would be hitting the trail once again. Maybe if I knew the difficulty of the next section I would not have been so beaten down by it but one thing is for certain and that is this section got to me. Inwardly I was picturing others scaling this section as if I were frozen in time. However, as the horseflies buzzed around me incessantly and would simply not be discouraged no matter how much arm waving I did, unbeknownst to me, this was one of the hardest portions of the race and no one was making up any time.
With the sun blazing in the sky and a tough climb going on under my feet, this information would have helped me as I began to hit a mental low point. However, I knew if I could push on to the next pit crew station I would have been in 2nd place for 25 miles and that would make me feel good.
Hitting the first weigh-in station I found I had lost 6 lbs. However, I had weighed in the night before, only an hour after I had eaten, and here I was dying of thirst, so I did not feel too worried. I knew my pit crew had food and liquid for me in a few short miles. So, half to get rolling, half to get the one little kid at the aid station to quit talking to me, I scampered along. Sweet kid, though.
3rd Pit Crew Station (Mile 47.70): Total Time: 8:59
Unfortunately, I needed to have another shoe change here. Something was wrong with my blisters and I needed to reapply some moleskin the girls had put on my feet my first time through this aid station and change my socks, all of which added to my total sit down time of 16 minutes. I did not tell anyone that about 2 miles back I had done a little bit of vomiting. Having been so thirsty at the Super Happy Funtime Talking Aid Station, I had swallowed a few too many glasses of water and began my run down the long steep hill. Well the water didn’t sit right with me and some of it came back up. No biggie but I knew others would be worried so I kept it to myself. I took a quick glance at the thermometer that someone had sitting by the road (which, ironically, Christine, would not double as a compass) and saw it was 88 degrees. It was only 12:30 PM. Uh oh.
My legs were a little tight coming out of the aid station but everything else was pretty decent. I was peeing rather frequently and it was relatively clear which showed I was not dehydrated. I knew I had a big hill to climb coming up so I simply acquiesced that I would be walking once again. And walk I did. At the mile 50 mark, I thought it was really nice of the race directors to paint a big old “50” on the road and I passed it at exactly 9:33:03. I had 14.5 hours to do the next 50 miles and still get a Belt Buckle. No problem.
Before too long the skies darkened, the clouds rolled in and rain began to pour out of the sky. I suddenly felt invigorated. Unfortunately, I still had a great deal of hill climbing to go and could not run but felt my core had been cooled exponentially. I just hoped the rain would keep on because as soon as it stopped I knew the humidity was going to skyrocket. A few miles later, the rain stopped. The humidity skyrocketed. Damn, I really hate being right all the time. The only saving grace was I began to actually be able to run downhill again.
4th Pit Crew Station (Mile 56.57): Total time 10:55
As the miles ebbed away I came upon the next Pit Crew Station. The girls cheered for me like crazy which completely baffled two backpackers who had just popped out of the roads. As I passed them I heard: “Must be a race or something.” “Oh, they are cheering for him!” This gave me a little giggle.
Spending far less time here than at previous aid stations (just under 8 minutes) I was able to joke that my definition of “uphill” in my “walk all the uphills” plan was growing grayer as the day went on. Hearing that competitors were closer to me than I had hoped, I lingered no longer and began to tackle the ATV trail section of the course. When the girls told me to get my butt moving I did the only thing a reasonable adult should do at this point in the race. I mooned them. I hear the backpackers laughed.
Wishing to keep the lead on those closing in (one was last year’s woman winner, the other was the only other guy I had been worried about previously) I took the uphills slow through this section but knowing there was a big downhill coming up, used my strength in this portion of running to take off. After dodging the Flying Wallenda Brothers on their damn ATVs, I was able to pick up more and more time and before I knew it I was cruising into the next stop.
5th Pit Crew Station (Mile 64.25): Total Time 12:35
Eating a grilled cheese sandwich my girls prepared for me, I was delighted to learn I had opened up 10 more minutes on my competitors behind me. Unfortunately, I think I was beginning to pay the price for pushing so hard. Spending less than 8 minutes here, I was on my feet and out of the area as quickly as possible. I later learned that when my competitors rolled into this area, they had no idea I was in front of them. They only knew of Keith Knipling and knew they had no shot of catching him. Apparently, when some people told them I was only 10-15 minutes in front of them, they grabbed food by the fistful and sped out of the aid station spending no more than 2 minutes there. My girls were none too happy at all.
I, oblivious to this, was soldiering up another long hill. A few miles later the rain began to pour again. I was hoping it would energize me like previously but this time it just gave me soggy shoes. And with a long section coming up where any rain whatsoever turns the area into a river I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Apparently, those runners who were half an hour behind me never even experienced this torrent on the trail as when the rain stopped, so went the rivulets. Lucky bastards. I, on the other hand, was forced to walk in ankle deep water and I could feel the sloshing in my shoes contributing to my already tiring and blistered feet.
6th Pit Crew Station (Mile 74.95): Total Time 15:17
After lots of sloshing and trail running and sore and tired legs, the miles were finally getting to me. I was beginning to lose time to all of those around me but was happy to pull in to Elizabeth Furnace having been in 2nd place for 50 miles. I weighed in for the second time and was not surprised to see I had only lost one more pound. I had not been running hard enough in the past few miles to spend too many calories and was taking in liquid like a sponge. I just wanted to get off the scale and get moving. Unfortunately, as I had my socks and shoes removed in favor of drier shoes and clean socks, as well as surgery being done to the blisters on my feet, my competition rolled into the aid station behind me.
Without a doubt, while I continued on from here, this is the point where I lost the race. Knowing I was already tired and seeing how strong these other two runners looked, as well as knowing they knew what lie ahead having run the race before, left me without much heart. The woman took off before I did and soon thereafter, I in my bandaged feet, followed. This part of the course is the only place where a runner can have a “safety runner” otherwise known as a pacer. Katie volunteered and I accepted.
I will not dwell too much on the negative here but after the other man who came in behind me at the aid station passed me a minute or so later, I was feeling pretty low. I could not get my legs going and had more or less come to the realization that I was going to be walking a good part of this section of the course. Suffice it to say, the Sherman’s Gap portion of the course was absolutely brutal. Almost straight up and then straight down for a total of 6 miles left me spent like I have never been spent before. Yet in spite of this, and the lack of a sufficient aid station at the end of this stretch, I still had high hopes. But as the night wore on, another runner passed me and my mindset was wrecked even more. The road we ventured onto off of the trail seemed impossibly steep and I could barely get moving.
Katie and I pulled into the next aid station and found out there was more trail ahead. This is where my spirit was finally broken. I simply could not handle more trails. I was finally cajoled into continuing by one of the volunteers (who was trying to be helpful, and was a really nice guy but given my state was really getting on my nerves!). I told Katie I was going to rest for five minutes and then decide what I wanted to do. Unfortunately, this chap kept talking to me. So much for rest! So, on my feet again, Katie and I started to climb. And climb. And climb. Sweet fancy Moses did we climb. It got to the point that the climbing was so ridiculous that we started to laugh at its sheer absurdity. Before much longer I knew I was done. Even though I realized I probably could have finished under the 28 hours and was pretty sure I might have still been able to buckle (under 24 hours), the fact remained that I was absolutely shattered in my mind. The darkness that Katie and I had been trudging through was almost suffocating given my exhaustion. I was shuffling like Frankenstein’s monster. And I had other goals on the horizon.
With a marathon in China in less than two weeks, I had to decide what was more important. Should I press on, hope to get a buckle and be bitterly disappointed if I wasted all that energy and all I did was finish? Or should I wrap it up, call it a day, learn from my experience and save myself as much as possible for China. Well, the latter won. As hard as it was to take as huge shot to my pride and pull out, the decision was made to stop at the next pit crew station.
I wish I could adequately describe how long it felt like it took to reach that final aid station. Forever is not a word I can properly use because it felt double that long. I made the decision to quit but I still had to walk miles before I could do so. How is that for sucking to high heaven? It is like in the olden days when the dad would make the kid go cut the switch with which he was to be swatted!
Finally, 4 hours and 49 minutes after I left Elizabeth Furnace, I arrived at Veach West (7th Pit Crew Station (Mile 86.67): Total Time 20:04) where Christine was waiting for me with a towel. (One more runner, a nice guy named Stephen from Missouri, who I had met the day before, had passed me a little while back, and when he asked how I was doing I told him I was done. He apparently told Christine who was sympathetically waiting with the security blanket of sorts). I sat for a while trying to figure out if I made the right decision but when I finally tried to move to get up to go to the car and nothing worked, I knew I had. I have never before been so utterly bereft of any energy. It was very similar to when you continue to suck on a straw hoping to find that one last droplet of Coke in the cup, hidden among the cubes of ice, and finally realize there is no Coke left, I too realized I was empty. I gave it all I had on this particular day.
I apparently was not the only one who gave it their all and fell short. Of the 25 starters, 10 others were unable to finish and, if I heard correctly, only 6 people finished under 24 hours. Keith ended up winning the race to complete a quite impressive 3 week stint. Kudos to him.
Let’s be clear, though. I failed. I have no problem with that word or that result. I think it was James russell Loweel who said: "Not failure, but low aim is a crime." My goal was not to run as many miles as I possibly could and then be happy with that total. My goal was to run 100 miles in under 24 hours and I did not accomplish it. I am not happy with the result. But I am happy with my decision. My first marathon ever was an abject failure in my terms. Yet I got back on that horse twice more in spite of both of those results being far below what I had hoped as well. Will I run another 100 mile race? I cannot say for sure. I do now know however that I have what I takes to pull out of a race when it is right for me to do so. I cannot say I will ever willingly DNF a race again. Heck, if I did not have this race in China in two weeks, chances are I would have kept on going, even though the thought of continuing on in the dark still gives me shivers right now.
So, I failed. I embrace that. Not because I enjoy the loss but rather because I think we live in a world where we coddle too much. It, unequivocally, sucks to not have finished that race this past weekend. But I, in no way, want sympathy for that nor do I wish to have congratulations for how far I went. If anything, I want kudos for having the brains to know what my body could do on a certain day and not trying to go further than I could in some attempt to prove anything to anyone. I will take the failure to heart, will learn from it, accept it, move on and succeed. Hopefully. Because nothing is guaranteed. Just because you have done something once, does not mean you will do it again. And just because you have done one thing well does not mean you will do it better the next time. Or ever.
Life is a crapshoot. Much of it is really not fun. But what makes life worth living are the good parts which, while often outnumbered, far exceed in quality that mass of crap we experience throughout our small time on this planet.
So, I have another race in less than two weeks. Then one a few weeks after that, and even more this summer. I obviously hope to do well at them all. I might not. But I can guarantee you there is one thing you will never have to worry that I did, fail or succeed, and that is to get it my best. With every thing I have.
And that, never, is failure.
For a complete course description, page down!
Monday, June 4, 2007
Old Dominion 100 Recap Part 1: Course Description
When I began writing this I had no idea it would turn into a novel. So to save your eyes, I have broken it into two (still lengthy) parts.
The first part (below) will be just a description of the course. The lack of what I feel is an adequate description of this course needed what I am writing.
The second part is my own personal race and will be posted separately. I hope you enjoy.
Old Dominion 100 Mile Cross Country Run
This is a bittersweet recap to write indeed. Never before have I not finished a race. But in the interest of self-preservation, as well as an eye to the near future, when sheer exhaustion took over at mile 86 (and foot problems as well) I am glad to say I did something very non Dane-like and decided NOT to push through until the end. Unlike earlier in the year when I pushed through the pain and exhaustion in my 50k, here was neither the time nor the place to continue. (How utterly ironic that in my last blog I mentioned I might DNF at mile 86).
What makes this most pleasurable for me is how I get to share the info I learned, not only about 100 mile races but also specifically this 100 mile race. You see, in the months leading up to this race I scoured the internet looking for detailed course descriptions or race reports from those who had run it. Instead of something that may actually help you, I found “From about mile 5 to mile 7 or so you climb Woodstock Mountain. The first aid station is at the top.” Believe me, there is much more information that could be shared about that particular section of the course, as well as many other sections. As such, I am hoping that this recap will be the tip of the iceberg of information shared about the Old Dominion 100 Mile Cross Country Run.
In addition, I have some suggestion for the race directors. I was pleased with how they handled most aspects of the day but where they were lacking was unfortunately, in the most glaring of spots. Therefore, I will not only offer constructive criticism, but praise them where they deserve it.
The first part (below) will be just a description of the course. The lack of what I feel is an adequate description of this course needed what I am writing.
The second part is my own personal race and will be posted separately. I hope you enjoy.
Old Dominion 100 Mile Cross Country Run
This is a bittersweet recap to write indeed. Never before have I not finished a race. But in the interest of self-preservation, as well as an eye to the near future, when sheer exhaustion took over at mile 86 (and foot problems as well) I am glad to say I did something very non Dane-like and decided NOT to push through until the end. Unlike earlier in the year when I pushed through the pain and exhaustion in my 50k, here was neither the time nor the place to continue. (How utterly ironic that in my last blog I mentioned I might DNF at mile 86).
What makes this most pleasurable for me is how I get to share the info I learned, not only about 100 mile races but also specifically this 100 mile race. You see, in the months leading up to this race I scoured the internet looking for detailed course descriptions or race reports from those who had run it. Instead of something that may actually help you, I found “From about mile 5 to mile 7 or so you climb Woodstock Mountain. The first aid station is at the top.” Believe me, there is much more information that could be shared about that particular section of the course, as well as many other sections. As such, I am hoping that this recap will be the tip of the iceberg of information shared about the Old Dominion 100 Mile Cross Country Run.
In addition, I have some suggestion for the race directors. I was pleased with how they handled most aspects of the day but where they were lacking was unfortunately, in the most glaring of spots. Therefore, I will not only offer constructive criticism, but praise them where they deserve it.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Down to the nitty gritty
In 67 hours I will be beginning my first 100 mile race. Nervous? A little bit. More anxious than anything. Anxious to see what the weather will be like (it has taken a turn for the worse ion the past few days with the projected highs hiking up from 75 to 88), anxious to see what the course will be like and anxious to see if my training was enough.
I think few people “enjoy” running long-distance races like marathons and the like. Follow me here. Given the amount of energy one must expend, the pain and muscle fatigue a runner must go through, I do not think that during the 26.2 miles (or 50k, or 100 miles or what have you) that you are enjoying the effort. And akin to what I heard someone once say to people who read magazines when they are on a treadmill, “If you can do that, you aren’t working hard enough”. And if you can enjoy the race in the middle of the race, well, chances are you aren’t running hard enough either.
Sure, glimpses of beautiful scenery are wonderful, as are cheering fans, or a babbling brook or any other bit of nature or landmark in a city that you love. But those glimpses are fleeting. You pass Heartbreak Hill or the deer that goes bounding by you or that gorgeous vista in South Dakota and it is back to the race. Back to pushing yourself to excel.
What I DO think that people enjoy is having DONE a race. The sense of accomplishment when you are finished is the elixir that brings us back. Being able to STOP running, assess what you just accomplished and then begin planning your next race and thinking about how you can improve is the hook for most runners.
So, when people ask me why I want to do a 100 mile race, I tell them I do not. I tell them I want to see if I can do it. I also want to see what it feels like to do something I have never done before. And when I am done, I will want to see what it feels like to run it faster. Or run it somewhere else in the country. Or what it feels like on A Sunday rather than a Saturday.
My OD 100 follows two days after my birthday. No longer a 30-year old, I am now 30-something. The present I have given to myself is the gift of a challenge. With my two good friends, Christine and Katie crewing for me, I feel this will be a challenge I meet head on and will succeed.
I could also crash and burn at mile 86. And I can definitely tell you that is something I do not want to do.
I think few people “enjoy” running long-distance races like marathons and the like. Follow me here. Given the amount of energy one must expend, the pain and muscle fatigue a runner must go through, I do not think that during the 26.2 miles (or 50k, or 100 miles or what have you) that you are enjoying the effort. And akin to what I heard someone once say to people who read magazines when they are on a treadmill, “If you can do that, you aren’t working hard enough”. And if you can enjoy the race in the middle of the race, well, chances are you aren’t running hard enough either.
Sure, glimpses of beautiful scenery are wonderful, as are cheering fans, or a babbling brook or any other bit of nature or landmark in a city that you love. But those glimpses are fleeting. You pass Heartbreak Hill or the deer that goes bounding by you or that gorgeous vista in South Dakota and it is back to the race. Back to pushing yourself to excel.
What I DO think that people enjoy is having DONE a race. The sense of accomplishment when you are finished is the elixir that brings us back. Being able to STOP running, assess what you just accomplished and then begin planning your next race and thinking about how you can improve is the hook for most runners.
So, when people ask me why I want to do a 100 mile race, I tell them I do not. I tell them I want to see if I can do it. I also want to see what it feels like to do something I have never done before. And when I am done, I will want to see what it feels like to run it faster. Or run it somewhere else in the country. Or what it feels like on A Sunday rather than a Saturday.
My OD 100 follows two days after my birthday. No longer a 30-year old, I am now 30-something. The present I have given to myself is the gift of a challenge. With my two good friends, Christine and Katie crewing for me, I feel this will be a challenge I meet head on and will succeed.
I could also crash and burn at mile 86. And I can definitely tell you that is something I do not want to do.
Friday, May 25, 2007
One week
One week to go until my first 100 miler. One week until the unplanned experiment will reveal whether one can run 100 miles in under 20 hours without having run more than 21 miles in training.
Of course, as I have said, the vast majority of this year has been training of some sort. From the tough 50k to running on jetlag in Korea to dodging crowds in Frederick, I have been training for races. I doubt anyone else's training plan for this 100 consisted of doing 10 x 400 at the track 2 weeks before the race though!
I am geting excited. If you know me, you know I rarely get excited until an event happens. Why? Because the let down of something NOT happening far outweighs the excitement I may allow myself to have prior to its happening. So, I balance it out in order to stay even-keeled. Yet, for this race, I am getting excited. It is uncharted territory for me. I have run a 50 miler and have run for 12 hours before but nothing this long in distance or over this long of a period of time.
But I think my experiences have prepared me for it. I am eagar to see what I can do. My goal is to run under 20 hours. Everything else is gravy.
currently the weather for race day calls for the possiblity of rain. That isn't too bad. could make the trail running a little treacherous but what is wonderful is that it only says there will be a high of 72 degrees. Sweet fancy moses if that stays true I will be uber happy. If I could find the umlaut I would have put it over "uber' that is how happy I am with that forecast.
I have a 15 mile run tomorrow and Sunday. My last two runs of any siginifcant size. then it is coasting away until I head down to Woodstock. Look out OD 100!
Of course, as I have said, the vast majority of this year has been training of some sort. From the tough 50k to running on jetlag in Korea to dodging crowds in Frederick, I have been training for races. I doubt anyone else's training plan for this 100 consisted of doing 10 x 400 at the track 2 weeks before the race though!
I am geting excited. If you know me, you know I rarely get excited until an event happens. Why? Because the let down of something NOT happening far outweighs the excitement I may allow myself to have prior to its happening. So, I balance it out in order to stay even-keeled. Yet, for this race, I am getting excited. It is uncharted territory for me. I have run a 50 miler and have run for 12 hours before but nothing this long in distance or over this long of a period of time.
But I think my experiences have prepared me for it. I am eagar to see what I can do. My goal is to run under 20 hours. Everything else is gravy.
currently the weather for race day calls for the possiblity of rain. That isn't too bad. could make the trail running a little treacherous but what is wonderful is that it only says there will be a high of 72 degrees. Sweet fancy moses if that stays true I will be uber happy. If I could find the umlaut I would have put it over "uber' that is how happy I am with that forecast.
I have a 15 mile run tomorrow and Sunday. My last two runs of any siginifcant size. then it is coasting away until I head down to Woodstock. Look out OD 100!
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Big Ahi
My good friend, Todd, aka Big Ahi, will be racing in the half Ironman in Hawaii in 10 days (Or Ironman 70.3 is what they might like to call it.)
Besides being a generally all-around nice guy, Todd also helped me beyond words last year when I ran the SEAFAIR Marathon in Bellevue, WA. In case you don't have my marathoning timeline memorized, this was the marathon that followed Leadville. (If you don't know what Leadville is, go run it). I would have been hard pressed to be more exhausted and in need of some assistance and Todd took care of everything. Ride to/from the airport, shuttling me around all weekend and many more things including doing some of the worst trashing-talking ever at the end of my race (Click here)
It was a great weekend as Todd gave me a tour of Seattle and very serendipidously, I got to see my friend Devon, a Seattle native, in a movie in some small artsy theatre in some small artsy section of town.
This was also the weekend I got hooked up with my sports massage therapist Terrel Hale who kept me on my feet the latter part of the year. If you are in the greater DC area, you have got to check him out. He works wonders. This is not the darkened lights, water flowing, Zen-like massages but rather the massages that get a man up and going for a marathon every single weekend.
Also, Todd and I got to sit back and eat dinner while my best friend Anne, who unbeknownst to her, entertained us for a good fifteen minutes from 3,000 miles away. How is that? Well, somehow her speaker phone got turned on and Todd and I sat eating pizza in a restaurant while Anne and about 6 of her girlfriends dished about love, life, and sex whilst in the midst of some wine party or whatnot. Anne, well, is not really "quiet" per se, so the vast majority of the people around us were quite entertained as well.
Todd is joining me in a team I put together to run the Northwest Passage Relay as well at the end of July where he will again play host to me and a few other friends before we join the rest of our team to run 189 miles in hopefully less than a day. But I did not put the team together to win but rather to have fun. So, I hand-selected good runners who are, more importantly, good people.
Who was one of the very first people who came to mind? Todd. One kickass dude in a world in a serious kick ass due shortage.
So go wish Todd good luck on this, as well as our race, and even later in the year when he takes on a FULL Ironman in Canada.
Besides being a generally all-around nice guy, Todd also helped me beyond words last year when I ran the SEAFAIR Marathon in Bellevue, WA. In case you don't have my marathoning timeline memorized, this was the marathon that followed Leadville. (If you don't know what Leadville is, go run it). I would have been hard pressed to be more exhausted and in need of some assistance and Todd took care of everything. Ride to/from the airport, shuttling me around all weekend and many more things including doing some of the worst trashing-talking ever at the end of my race (Click here)
It was a great weekend as Todd gave me a tour of Seattle and very serendipidously, I got to see my friend Devon, a Seattle native, in a movie in some small artsy theatre in some small artsy section of town.
This was also the weekend I got hooked up with my sports massage therapist Terrel Hale who kept me on my feet the latter part of the year. If you are in the greater DC area, you have got to check him out. He works wonders. This is not the darkened lights, water flowing, Zen-like massages but rather the massages that get a man up and going for a marathon every single weekend.
Also, Todd and I got to sit back and eat dinner while my best friend Anne, who unbeknownst to her, entertained us for a good fifteen minutes from 3,000 miles away. How is that? Well, somehow her speaker phone got turned on and Todd and I sat eating pizza in a restaurant while Anne and about 6 of her girlfriends dished about love, life, and sex whilst in the midst of some wine party or whatnot. Anne, well, is not really "quiet" per se, so the vast majority of the people around us were quite entertained as well.
Todd is joining me in a team I put together to run the Northwest Passage Relay as well at the end of July where he will again play host to me and a few other friends before we join the rest of our team to run 189 miles in hopefully less than a day. But I did not put the team together to win but rather to have fun. So, I hand-selected good runners who are, more importantly, good people.
Who was one of the very first people who came to mind? Todd. One kickass dude in a world in a serious kick ass due shortage.
So go wish Todd good luck on this, as well as our race, and even later in the year when he takes on a FULL Ironman in Canada.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Old Dominion 100
I have begun training for my 100 miler (the Old Dominion 100 Mile Run). It is in two weeks. Whoops.
Honestly, I do not feel like I am all that far behind. I mean, ideally, I would have started 3 months ago and logged hundreds of hard miles, running in dark, on rocky terrain, etc. But I have not done things ideally. That does not mean I am taking this race lightly either, mind you. If I did not feel I had done enough to run this race I would not endanger my health. Like with Fiddy2, I know what Iam capable of doing and time proves me right and then some.
This weekend, I ran 21 miles (my longest non-race run ever) on Saturday and 15 miles on Sunday. I wanted to do 20 miles on Sunday but I got bored and went home. I did not think the extra 5 miles would mean much at this juncture. You see, the reason I am not too worried abut my training is I think I have a higher base mileage than a majority of others based on not only last year but the races I have done this year. In addition, apparently I have also been blessed with the ability of quick recovery. So given my hard work from last year, the tough miles I have put in already this year in race conditions and genetics, I think I will be fine. Especially since I am doing everything I can to make sure I run a smart race.
I wish to do well and hopefully finish high but I also know all I want to do is “buckle”. For non-100 mile runners, this term refers to completing a race (usually of the 100 mile variety) in less than the prescribed time. In my case, it is 24 hours.
Having just had a friend complete the Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 where the time to buckle is 36 hours, I feel like my race will be a breeze. As long as the temps stay decent, I should be a-ok. My goal is to average 12 minute miles which will put me exactly at 20 hours for the day. IF I go one second fast I will have run 100 miles in one day (the race starts at 4 AM on Saturday morning). That is my main goal. The buckle part is something that I just assume will happen.
I could be wrong. I could be greatly overestimating my training and my skills. But I guess I will learn the hard way on that one. Let’s hope not.
Congrats to Nattu for his stellar finish yesterday. In his days leading up to the Badwater 135, he used this as a training run. Ridiculous huh? Way to go Nattu!
Honestly, I do not feel like I am all that far behind. I mean, ideally, I would have started 3 months ago and logged hundreds of hard miles, running in dark, on rocky terrain, etc. But I have not done things ideally. That does not mean I am taking this race lightly either, mind you. If I did not feel I had done enough to run this race I would not endanger my health. Like with Fiddy2, I know what Iam capable of doing and time proves me right and then some.
This weekend, I ran 21 miles (my longest non-race run ever) on Saturday and 15 miles on Sunday. I wanted to do 20 miles on Sunday but I got bored and went home. I did not think the extra 5 miles would mean much at this juncture. You see, the reason I am not too worried abut my training is I think I have a higher base mileage than a majority of others based on not only last year but the races I have done this year. In addition, apparently I have also been blessed with the ability of quick recovery. So given my hard work from last year, the tough miles I have put in already this year in race conditions and genetics, I think I will be fine. Especially since I am doing everything I can to make sure I run a smart race.
I wish to do well and hopefully finish high but I also know all I want to do is “buckle”. For non-100 mile runners, this term refers to completing a race (usually of the 100 mile variety) in less than the prescribed time. In my case, it is 24 hours.
Having just had a friend complete the Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 where the time to buckle is 36 hours, I feel like my race will be a breeze. As long as the temps stay decent, I should be a-ok. My goal is to average 12 minute miles which will put me exactly at 20 hours for the day. IF I go one second fast I will have run 100 miles in one day (the race starts at 4 AM on Saturday morning). That is my main goal. The buckle part is something that I just assume will happen.
I could be wrong. I could be greatly overestimating my training and my skills. But I guess I will learn the hard way on that one. Let’s hope not.
Congrats to Nattu for his stellar finish yesterday. In his days leading up to the Badwater 135, he used this as a training run. Ridiculous huh? Way to go Nattu!
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Taking a break
I posted a few weeks back how I had realized I was about to run for 5 straight days for the first time in lord knows how long. Well, I just noticed last night when filling out my running log that I had run for 7 straight, completely inadvertently. Chances are pretty good I will run again today.
This is hardly even worth noting to some people. Why? Well, I actually am friends with a guy who claims to not have missed a day of running since 1977 or something odd like that. Heck there is even a club for it, called United States Running Streak Association, Inc.
There appears to be very simple criteria to join this club.
1. A running streak is defined by USRSA as running at least one continuous mile within each calendar day under one's own body power (without the utilization of any type of health or mechanical aid other than prosthetic devices).
2. Ownership of a running streak, either active or retired, entitles you to a USRSA membership. Once that streak reaches a year in duration you then qualify for USRSA listing of your streak.
And that's it. Do that and you are in. But why?
I often was asked "but why?" during Fiddy2 last year and I had a litany of answers at hand. Even more so, I understand the "but why?"s most athletes get when they push themselves past the threshold of seeming common sense. Heck, I am running my first 100 mile race in 2 weeks. I also want to run Badwater someday. I plan on completing an Ironaman triathlon in the near future. In addition, I am hoping to compete in lots of events that make people say "But why?"
But I do not get this "streak" thing.
As Fiddy2 developed last year, and I realized that if I was going to stay true blue to the idea of running an actual marathon every weekend (i.e., a certified course) I could not, if push came to shove, simply run on a treadmill, or double up on a race course somewhere. This was the rule I set down and I am proud to say I never wavered from it. (I would like to think that is what earned me some credibility in the running ranks.) This rule came about when I looked at the 2006 running schedule and saw many holes and places where remote or difficult marathons might make me miss a week (e.g., Leadville).
I say this because of the truth factor. Let me clarify. Runners, or at least those I have met, are some of the most truthful when it comes to what they have run. They will bemoan injuries before a race, or complain about conditions during a race to justify a time they do not think is their best, but when it comes to how far they ran or if they actually did run, I do not know many who would lie. (There are exceptions and some scoundrels out there if they spontaneously combusted I wouldn't piss on to put out the flames, but that is neither here nor there.)
That said, I do not get the point of an organization that relies solely on the veracity of their members' statements for inclusion. Perhaps I am too much of a stickler for needing to be able to prove one's claims or maybe I should not be looking to deeply into this club's reason for existing. But, it is my nature and that is what I do.
I guess my main reservation comes from the fact that I do not think that running every single day is good for you. And therefore, the promotion of such streaks is invariably a bad idea. Then again, if all you need to do is keep the streak alive is run one single mile chances are you are not doing much damage to your body anyway.
Apparently, however, none of these people have ever taken a long trip where they could not run because of logistics. (e.g., Once, for work, I was on a plane for 21.5 hours, including an emergency detour to get a sick passenger off the plane where we idled on the tarmac for 90 minutes. That left precious little time to get in that one mile run. And running through customs sometimes sends a very bad signal.)
But I guess the promotion of physical fitness, in whatever form is, good. I simply cringe when I think of things which may IMPEDE us from exercising. Not unlike when I see someone running with awful form or improper footwear, I think that running every day may push someone to the point where they never want to run again. Or, I see it is a by-product of some people who have bulimia or anorexia or are so obsessive with exercise that is it completely detrimental to their overall health and the reason why they should be exercising in the first place.
Me, well, I think breaks are necessary (and I might have just convinced myself to take one tonight.) Perhaps one mile is not too much to do even on a "break" day. And no one said that the miles have to be fast. But I think it is OK to stop every now and again. But kudos to those who have done so. I guess I just won't be impressed. Then again, they probably don't care one lick if I am impressed.
At least I have a reason for trying to cram in a lot of runs in a short period of time. With my 100 mile race quickly approaching, I know I have not trained nearly enough for this race. Actually, I haven't trained at all for THIS race. I have run marathons and done speed work and have a base few people have but I have not targeted this race specifically. I am trying to remedy that. I am trying to run while tired because I sure as heck will be doing so in two weeks. So, I have a reason. I need to crank out some miles. (Which makes me wonder if any of these streakers have ever done an ultra. If so, how fast was that mile the day after a 100 mile race?)
*****
I am currently still deciding which way I fall on the new Reebok slogan "Go Run Easy". Chances are I will come to the same conclusion as above. I am happy people are exercising but "staying fit how you see fit" usually doesn't coincide with "running easy" in my book.
This is hardly even worth noting to some people. Why? Well, I actually am friends with a guy who claims to not have missed a day of running since 1977 or something odd like that. Heck there is even a club for it, called United States Running Streak Association, Inc.
There appears to be very simple criteria to join this club.
1. A running streak is defined by USRSA as running at least one continuous mile within each calendar day under one's own body power (without the utilization of any type of health or mechanical aid other than prosthetic devices).
2. Ownership of a running streak, either active or retired, entitles you to a USRSA membership. Once that streak reaches a year in duration you then qualify for USRSA listing of your streak.
And that's it. Do that and you are in. But why?
I often was asked "but why?" during Fiddy2 last year and I had a litany of answers at hand. Even more so, I understand the "but why?"s most athletes get when they push themselves past the threshold of seeming common sense. Heck, I am running my first 100 mile race in 2 weeks. I also want to run Badwater someday. I plan on completing an Ironaman triathlon in the near future. In addition, I am hoping to compete in lots of events that make people say "But why?"
But I do not get this "streak" thing.
As Fiddy2 developed last year, and I realized that if I was going to stay true blue to the idea of running an actual marathon every weekend (i.e., a certified course) I could not, if push came to shove, simply run on a treadmill, or double up on a race course somewhere. This was the rule I set down and I am proud to say I never wavered from it. (I would like to think that is what earned me some credibility in the running ranks.) This rule came about when I looked at the 2006 running schedule and saw many holes and places where remote or difficult marathons might make me miss a week (e.g., Leadville).
I say this because of the truth factor. Let me clarify. Runners, or at least those I have met, are some of the most truthful when it comes to what they have run. They will bemoan injuries before a race, or complain about conditions during a race to justify a time they do not think is their best, but when it comes to how far they ran or if they actually did run, I do not know many who would lie. (There are exceptions and some scoundrels out there if they spontaneously combusted I wouldn't piss on to put out the flames, but that is neither here nor there.)
That said, I do not get the point of an organization that relies solely on the veracity of their members' statements for inclusion. Perhaps I am too much of a stickler for needing to be able to prove one's claims or maybe I should not be looking to deeply into this club's reason for existing. But, it is my nature and that is what I do.
I guess my main reservation comes from the fact that I do not think that running every single day is good for you. And therefore, the promotion of such streaks is invariably a bad idea. Then again, if all you need to do is keep the streak alive is run one single mile chances are you are not doing much damage to your body anyway.
Apparently, however, none of these people have ever taken a long trip where they could not run because of logistics. (e.g., Once, for work, I was on a plane for 21.5 hours, including an emergency detour to get a sick passenger off the plane where we idled on the tarmac for 90 minutes. That left precious little time to get in that one mile run. And running through customs sometimes sends a very bad signal.)
But I guess the promotion of physical fitness, in whatever form is, good. I simply cringe when I think of things which may IMPEDE us from exercising. Not unlike when I see someone running with awful form or improper footwear, I think that running every day may push someone to the point where they never want to run again. Or, I see it is a by-product of some people who have bulimia or anorexia or are so obsessive with exercise that is it completely detrimental to their overall health and the reason why they should be exercising in the first place.
Me, well, I think breaks are necessary (and I might have just convinced myself to take one tonight.) Perhaps one mile is not too much to do even on a "break" day. And no one said that the miles have to be fast. But I think it is OK to stop every now and again. But kudos to those who have done so. I guess I just won't be impressed. Then again, they probably don't care one lick if I am impressed.
At least I have a reason for trying to cram in a lot of runs in a short period of time. With my 100 mile race quickly approaching, I know I have not trained nearly enough for this race. Actually, I haven't trained at all for THIS race. I have run marathons and done speed work and have a base few people have but I have not targeted this race specifically. I am trying to remedy that. I am trying to run while tired because I sure as heck will be doing so in two weeks. So, I have a reason. I need to crank out some miles. (Which makes me wonder if any of these streakers have ever done an ultra. If so, how fast was that mile the day after a 100 mile race?)
*****
I am currently still deciding which way I fall on the new Reebok slogan "Go Run Easy". Chances are I will come to the same conclusion as above. I am happy people are exercising but "staying fit how you see fit" usually doesn't coincide with "running easy" in my book.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Battle of the Boulevard 10k Recap
A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 2; 8th Edition
171.2 miles raced in 2007
Race: Battle of the Boulevard 10k
Place: Arlington, VA
Miles from home: .8
Course Difficulty: 8.5 out of 10
Course Enjoyability: 3 out of 10
Weather: 60s;
Finishers' Medal: N/A
Course Difficulty: 8.5 out of 10
Course Enjoyability: 3 out of 10
Weather: 60s;
Finishers' Medal: N/A
When my friend told me about this first time 10k being run just a week after I had run back to back marathons I gave it some thought but not seriously. I had not run a 10k in over three years and wondered if I would be in any shape to try this distance. As I have told many people, I think the 10k is a tough race. One cannot give it the full all-out sprint they would a 5k but it is far too short to pace yourself. It is a tough distance. But, being that my goal this year is to set a PR in every distance, I figured it is hard to pass up an opportunity to run a race within walking distance of my house!
The Course:
What can I say about this course other than it was a toughie. Even though I knew the exact streets that the race would be run on and have driven them many times, I had never run them on foot.
As you can see from the elevation profile below, the first mile and change were on a steep downhill. You run through some of the shopping areas of an area of Arlington called Clarendon then onto the neighborhood of Courthouse. The middle two miles begin in Rosslyn, with the Marine Corps Memorial (Iwo Jima) about two blocks to your right. You then traverse a highway which is completely blocked off and is quite non-descript. Hitting the turn-around 5k point at some completely random place in the road you make a turn around a cone and head back the way you came. You can only guess that the hill at the end was no fun whatsoever.
My Race:
First mile:
I had a fairly good idea of what I could run a 10k, even though I had not been training for this sort of speedwork whatsoever. I was shocked to learn in the weeks leading up to the race that my 10k PR was only a 38:49. I knew I had only run a handful of 10ks when I lived in Erie but I could have sworn I had run faster. Oh well. Should be easy to set a new PR today, I thought.
A very large crowd showed up for this race, as crowds are wont to do for inaugural races. But together with "Neighborhood Days" in Arlington, there was also a 2k, a parade later on and a slew of other events. It seems counter-intuitive at first but I do not know all that much about the neighborhood just a mile away from me. I can tell you about some of the finer restaurants in Juneau, Alaska and where to swim with the stingrays in Grand Cayman but some of the niceties of my backyard escape me. So this little show of local camaraderie was not only quite fun for me but actually pleased me. With nearly 1,400 finishers for the 10k you can imagine how packed the little area was.
After a few words from local government officials and the owner of the Pacers store which put on the days running events, the gun sounded and we were off. With the first hill going nothing but downhill, I hoped to bank a little time here in order to make up for the eventual slowdown on the way home. Usually not a believer in "banking time" in a marathon, I hoped this shorter distance would contain different results. After about a quarter of a mile, I realized I was still right behind the leaders and knew that was too fast. Even slowing down I crossed the first mile in 5:20 or so. Whoops!
Middle miles:
My second mile was a much more reasonable 5:53 but my third mile, right before the 5k mark (obviously), troubled me. Running a 6:17, which was WAY slower than I wanted to at this point, threw me off. Sure there was a slight uphill on this mile but well, crap. I hit the 5k turnaround at 18:09, or 13 seconds faster than I ran JUST the 5k last week. This bodes well for me breaking my 5k PR later this year, I thought.
Turning back down the highway from whence we just came, I could see hordes of runners coming at me. It was awesome to see not only my friend Katie who was visiting the area from north Carolina but also slews of other people that I rarely get to see locally run because I am usually in Seoul or Texas when all the local races are being run here.
With three women ahead of me I decided to see if I could hold mile four steady and then track them down by the end of the race. However, with my fourth mile clocking in at another disappointingly slow 6:21, I could only attempt to make myself feel better about by persuading myself that my legs had intentionally saved up energy for the last big hills.
Last 2.2 miles:
Oy. I swear they had the hill on a jack and whatever it was we ran down, they hiked up a few more notches on the way back. Talk about a momentum and spirit crusher when you are trying to run fast!
Mile 5 took me 6:53 and I saw all chances of a low 37 minute 10k vanish. Even though the last mile was slightly less hilly, a 6:34 crushed my hopes of even a 37 minute whatever time. Now I just had to make sure I set a new PR.
Finish:
With a 1:10 last .2 of a mile I was lucky enough to pass a few people, while never catching any of the three females in front of me (came close to one though!). I did, however, save just enough energy to set a new PR by 13 seconds as I crossed the finish line 36th overall in a time of 38:36. (Annie was kind enough to stop by for just a few minutes on her way to crush some tennis balls in order to catch this quick clip of me finishing here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEnAcLzRk2c)
This was not the time I was hoping for but given the difficulty of the course I am pretty sure I have a shot at a 36-minute 10k time this year. This is hardly a time which will set the world afire (heck that might not event make its toes toasty) but I will be pleased with it.
Congrats goes out to Katie, Diana, Megan, James, Devon, Katharine, Adi, John, Bruce and a slew of other friends who made the run that day. Way to conquer the hill on a beautiful day in Arlington. Virginia is for Runners!
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Frederick Marathon (and 5k)
Frederick Marathon (and 5k)
A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 2; 7th Edition
165 miles raced in 2007
Race: Frederick Marathon (and 5k)
Place: Frederick, MD
Miles from home: 49
Course Difficulty: 5.5 out of 10
Course Enjoyability: 7 out of 10
Weather: 50-60s; swirling winds
Finishers' Medal: 8 out of 10 Donations To Date: ~41k
I had little reason to believe this marathon would be anything but a fun run even (given various circumstances, some you know, some you do not) though I knew I would, as always, give it my all. Luckily, I know races put on by the Frederick Marathon people are always good events.
As you may have known, this was the race where I would be participating as a Charity Chaser. Basically, I would start as the absolute last person to cross the start line and for every runner who I beat to the finish, Ferris Baker Watts would not only give a donation to the United Way of Frederick but also to my own charity, L’Arche Mobile. This idea came about in talks with the race directors of the Frederick Marathon, Rachel Ridgway and Larry Herman. Two nicer people would be hard to come across. I cannot say enough good things about them, both as humans and as runners and race directors.
So I arrived in Frederick the day before the race and was treated just as well as I had been one week earlier when I arrived in Seoul. I am still getting used to this “elite” treatment and don’t think I ever will. Nevertheless, I accepted it graciously. While milling around and conversing I saw someone signing up for the 5k to be held Saturday night the night before the race. I turned towards Rachel and said, “Hey, can I do that?” She said sure and before Christine (my travel partner for the weekend and who was also running the marathon as well) could protest, I was signed up. What the heck, I thought. It had been over a year and a half since I had run 5k but I was itching to at least give it a try. So, I went home, rested up for a little bit, donned my race gear earlier than expected and headed back down to the Frederick Keys baseball stadium.
The 5k:
While the race directions were being given, the big inflatable stating line came crashing down (video of it can be seen HERE.) With complete poise, Rachel looked at it and said, “Don’t worry.” Within thirty seconds, the gate was blown back up and no one would have known a thing if they had not seen it.
Before the start of the 5k, I had promised Christine, who was looking out for my well-being, to run no faster than an 18:59. I wanted to run a nice even pace to get my legs warmed up and also wanted to have a respectable time. It had been years since I ran a “fast” 5k and one of my goals this year is to break my PR in every distance. So this race would be a barometer of how well I could do, in a reserved manner. Heck, I had a marathon the next day to run! Christine knew I was exhausted from my trip to Seoul plus a taxing week at work so I appreciated her concern.
When the gun went off I figured I would finish in the top ten or so and planned on that. Before a mile had gone by I could see I could do better. Much better.
With a quick sprint down the parking lot and across the street, we had two laps in a local cemetery, then back across the street. Following the warning track of the Frederick Keys baseball stadium from right field to left, we finished on the third base line. I am so glad I did this 5k as the previous year the marathon came in at right field and made a direct beeline down the first-base line. Few things are worse than thinking you are going to be done and realizing there is another 200 yards or so. So, now I knew that the end of the marathon would be the same way, which made my decision to run the 5k wise.
What probably was not wise was finishing second overall in a time of 18:22. Whoops! Christine just shook her head. I got a kick out of it.
The Marathon:
If you read my recap last year, I had expressed some wariness over the Frederick Marathon course which appeared to have about 87 turns in it. Normally, I would not have been too bothered by this (being a relative novice and all) but the previous week I had not been directed the correct way (or simply missed a turn) and had ended up running longer than I needed to in order to finish. So the puzzle-like course appeared to be a recipe for disaster. I was glad to be wrong. In fact, the direct quote from my recap last year was:
“A great course that was well marked (a little trepidation on my part after seeing the seemingly complex route map) and extremely well staffed (race volunteers had shirts that said: "OBEY ME" emblazoned on the front; there was no mistaking where you needed to go)”
Well, nothing changed this year except the color of the OBEY ME shirts (red to blue), and in spite of a few differences in the course, almost everything else was even better.
The Course:
The Frederick Marathon course is not easy. It is most assuredly not hard either. It contains many rolling hills but rarely are those hills difficult and are often encountered after long stretches of straight flat running where the opportunity to work some different muscles is welcome. I have long felt that an entirely flat course does not lend itself to being the fastest. Again, I am no sports exercise medical type person (that is the correct term, right?) but that is what I have found through the running of 68 marathons. By continuing to use the exact same muscles with no deviation, it does not take a PhD. to figure out those muscles will get extremely tired, while others, which are not used, could provide relief. So the rolling hills of this race are exactly that without being too taxing.
The course begins in nearly the exact same place as the 5k; right outside the Frederick Keys Minor League baseball stadium, which, as I mentioned before, is also where you finish the race. You run through the parking lot, and make a loop outside of the stadium. You then begin winding through some scenic little parts of downtown Frederick with its quaint narrow streets and shops on either side, all of which looked family owned and decades old.
A twist and a turn here, and a loop into some neighborhood there and around mile 10.5 you get a chance to see runners behind you around mile 7.5. With a few of those rolling hills thrown in you get to both feel a little bit of fatigue going up, but elation going down as the marathon gives back just as much as it takes, if not more.
Through the halfway point the half-marathoners peel off and it gets a little more desolate for a few miles as you run near the Frederick High School and then into the beautifully somber Mt. Olivet Cemetery (where Francis Scott Key is buried). This quiet is broken as you emerge on the other side, right next to the stadium where you started, which also happens to be mile 17. A little bit of a tease at this point since you still have 9 miles to go, this leg allows spectators to gather and cheer as you pass by without moving far from the start/finish at all.
The loneliest part of the marathon begins here where the runners are fewer between than before and the crowds are far more sparse. Runners travel through some back roads near open fields and along some highways. Traffic is blocked off so you needn’t worry about breathing fumes or cars zooming by but somehow some hardy spectators still were able to make it out to cheer runners on.
A few more hills at the end, which would not be all that bad if not for something I will tell you soon (as it has nothing to do with the “course”), lead you to the last turn before you go up, down ,up, down two overpasses, around a bend, through a parking lot and then into the Stadium. A cheering crowd and a wonderful announcer who tries to grab as many names as he can from runner’s bib numbers welcomes you as you circle the warning track. A really nice race through and through course-wise.
My Race:
First 4 miles:
Standing still when the gun went off was one of the weirdest things I have experienced. Still wearing my sweatshirt which declared I was the “Charity Chase” (the weather was chillier than predicted; MUCH to our happiness), I did not even begin to think about taking it off for about two minutes, as hordes of people streamed by. Finally, I peeled it off to feel the brisk morning air and handed it to Robin, the wonderful person with Ferris Baker Watts who had been my personal liaison for the past day. I had just enough time to high-five Christine as she ran by to begin her marathon before I was pulled aside to be part of a quick photo for someone who wanted me holding the sweatshirt. Just got a race to do behind me, but ok!
Christine was coming back from an injury about a year ago as well as trying to erase some Frederick Marathon demons. You see, her first marathon ever was here at Frederick when it was held in March a few years back. Here in the greater DC area, even in March, you do not expect to get hit with what they did that morning: a freak snow storm! The funny thing is, a week earlier, when she had been part of the now-defunct D.C. Marathon (which folded a week before it was supposed to be run), the weather was perfect for a marathon. So she was here after running through the streets of New York in November simply enjoying the race (and darn near breaking her PR) to give it all she could. She had expressed some concern about her training but I knew she was far better off than she thought.
So finally, three minutes and 18 seconds after the gun went off, with the police car who was supposed to bring up the rear looking at me as if to say: “You gonna go?” (I wanted to wait a few more seconds to let the runners clear out a smidgen so I would not be caught in the congestion), I was off.
My goodness. That’s about all I can say. Weaving and bobbing, running on the grass, sidewalks, and curbs, I tried to pick my way through the masses at the end of the pack. I have only experienced “pack running” about three times in a marathon previously (Marine Corps in 2004, Boston in 2005 and New York last fall) and that never lasted more than a few hundred yards. However, this race took me nearly 3 miles of running to get clear of a bulk of the runners. In the meantime, I received lots of “Waytogo”s and “Do I get my $2 back if I pass you?” as I weaved through the crowd.
To be honest, I had an idea of setting a personal best myself but that quickly evaporated as I knew it would be very hard given the extra energy I was expending picking my way through lots of runners. I then decided to just enjoy it and start seeing each runner in front of me as a dollar sign.
Mile 10.5:
As I mentioned, if you were a few miles in front of friends you knew you would have a good chance of seeing them at this straightaway where runners passed each other on either side of the road. As luck would have it, even though she said she saw me as I passed by in the initial three miles, I got to see Christine for the first time here. She looked good. I was extremely pleased. I think I wanted her to do well more than I wanted for myself. For people who only run a few marathons a year, the importance and success/failure of one race weigh greater than with those constant ‘thoners like me. For example, Seoul was tough but I knew I had a chance of redemption 6 days later.
By this point, I had passed a vast majority of the people I would pass on the day and it was just a matter of maintaining pace and picking people off here and there. I was mostly running with half-marathoners and relay people but I used them as motivation to keep me going strong.
Mile 17:
After seeing my friend Mike Wardian pushing a stroller with his son inside (he was going for the World Record for fastest marathon pushing a stroller) as well as a girl running in a bikini (yep, a string bikini) I knew I was going to have not too many more people to pass. As it ends up, the girl in the bikini was a young girl of 23 named Jenn Shelton who is just a flat out AMAZING runner. She would finish in 2:53, beating the next female by nearly 18 minutes. We spoke after the race where she and, what I presume is her boyfriend Billy (who finished 4th overall with a 2:47) chatted for quite sometime. I did some research on both when I got home to supplement what we had talked about, and this 23 year old pair’s tenacity on the ultramarathon courses is in stark contrast to their wonderful genial nature and easy smiles. So glad I had a chance to meet them. (A quick search showed me Jenn ran a sub 15 hour 100 mile race at Rocky Raccoon last year. In contrast, in my first 100 miler this June I hope to break 20 hours…just barely! You can see I am not even giving these two the credit they deserve.)
After the jaunt through the high school area, we passed through another shopping district and into the cemetery. The aforementioned sereneness overtook me and even though a mile back I felt tired I was rejuvenated here. Popping out near the stadium to cheering crowds brought me back to reality and invigorated me even more. I passed a pack of five runners and chased down one girl who I knew was in the relay. I just wanted to beat her to her hand-off person. Mission accomplished, I focused on the remaining 9 miles.
Mile 22:
This next span of miles was wonderful. I began to pick off a few runners here and there and was beginning to quicken my pace. (KaleRunning.com did the timing and it was very thorough. For example, we received split times for each one of the relay stations. For the first 6.4 miles my pace was 6:58 per mile; from there to the halfway point I ran a 6:46 average; and my average mile time from the half-way point to the 17.4 mile mark was 6:45. You can see I was not lying when I said I felt that I was picking up!)
I did not tell you my average for the last 8 plus miles for a reason. You see, I have yet to mention the swirling wind that surrounded us all day; I did not want anyone to think that it was part of the “course”. Having run this race last year with little to no wind, the course cannot be blamed for some freaky conditions such as wind out of nowhere. In fact, for the first few miles after 17 it was helpful, or at the very least, not ALL that bothersome. Sure, we had some headwind and some swirling conditions (both Christine and I commented on how we were glad we wore sunglasses if only for the reason that it blocked the flowing debris) but it was not much of a hindrance until later. How bad?
As I turned the corner at the mile 22 marker, I still had a chance to set a new PR and go sub-3. A 2:55 was out of the question and has become quite elusive lately but I knew I had a sub-3 in me. I had been running faster and faster (as shown by my splits above) and I felt strong. In fact, I inwardly commented on how strong I felt so late in the game. With a relatively flat finish I knew I had a lot left in the tank to make that push. But then the wind happened.
I checked the weather reports and during the finish of the marathon winds were blowing in our faces at a sustained 21 mph. I can tell you right now that the assessment of the winds was 100% accurate and included gusts approaching, if not exceeding, 35mph. I am talking the stand-you-straight-up kind of wind. And I am 180 lbs. Even with my ears it takes a lot of wind to knock me back. But knock me back it did. As I am counting on you to not be able to do the math quick enough for me to finish this recap in order to get my finish time (although some of my sneakier friends have cheated and looked anyway) I will tell you those 6:40s turned into 7:40s and beyond. Even though the first four miles from 17.4 were flying, the wind flat out took its toll from mile 22 to almost the finish. My average mile for that stretch? 7:19.
The one saving grace was one of the main things I have advocated for every marathon since I started running and the Frederick Marathon did it both last year and this year. I am talking about water and Gatorade EVERY MILE the last 10k. It is impossible to describe to non-marathoners how important a well-hydrated course in the last 6 miles is. Sure liquid and all is important throughout the race, but as any marathoner knows, the race begins at 20 miles. And the Frederick Marathon knows that and handles it perfectly. This is just amazing to me that it is not done more often.
Even though my salt-encrusted shirt would say I needed more than I took, I still knew that not only was the liquid going to be there, but so would the small cheering station of volunteers who mans those stations. The combination of cheers and liquid made even the worst winds palatable.
So while my time slipped away, I was able to do my very best to keep on and pass one or two more people.
Finish:
With about ¾ mile to go I got passed by the first person to pass me all day. I was ticked. Earlier in the race, one of the guys I had passed had decided to draft off of me (meaning he was using me to break the wind for him), which made me think: “Seriously? You are going to draft off of the Charity Chaser?” It took me a few minutes to shake him but I did eventually. Other than him, no one I passed mounted any threat to overtake me whatsoever. But here, this guy had come from nowhere to fly by me.
Over the last two overpasses we went and I kept him in my sights the whole time. I hadn’t looked at my watch in minutes on end. I just wanted to beat this guy. Down through the parking lot and into the stadium we went. I was about 10 yards behind him but I could not close the gap. Around the warning track we went and I could feel I was gaining ever so slightly but did not know if I had enough race distance left. Turning at the outfield and down the third base line we went. I finally knew I had him.
As the finish line photo will show (and this will be one I am sure I will buy), I beat him by abut two feet. Or two more dollars from the sponsor. I crossed the line in 3:03:22, which was good enough for my third fastest time ever. I was quite pleased.
With a cheering crowd reacting to both this duel and the words of the announcer telling them I had passed hundreds of people and therefore raised hundreds of dollars for not only L’Arche Mobile but also the United Way of Frederick, I was beaming. I was also sore. And I had unfinished business. So I got a quick massage, grabbed a bottle of water and headed back onto the course. For I had told Christine that if I could, I would run back out and try to help her finish.
As I walked off the soreness (“running” right now was not in the cards) and cheered everyone else coming into the finish, my mind went back to the last mile where I had seen Christine. She looked so strong and, by my calculations, WAY ahead of her best time ever. I knew she had a few miles to go and I simply did not have the heart (or the energy) to tell her about the winds she would be encountering soon. All I could do was hope she weathered them well and pray they did not take too much out of her.
I walked over the two overpasses and before I knew it, there she was. I looked at my watch and thought: “No way!” I ran down to her and trying to block the swirling wind as much as I could (with little success) and began to pace her back to the finish. Or, get in her way, the choice is yours (one time she put a hand on my back and said: Run faster!”). Picking up another girl named Erin we had a little train going. Erin had a friend on a bike coaching her along as well so we motored along. We all began cheering for each other. Back down the hill through the parking lot and into the stadium we went. I left a smiling Christine as we both knew she was going to PR. By how much was the only question remaining.
As she finished on the third base line, she raised her hands and smiled a smile which could be seen by me on the other side. She had set a personal best by nearly THIRTEEN MINUTES!! Lord knows what she would have done if not for that wind!
So as you can see, I had a good race weekend. I spoke with Larry and Rachel after the race and said the only thing I would change would be the last few miles. As the course runs in open fields it lends itself to being subject to the weather far worse than it could if run next to buildings or a tree line. But that was my only complaint. Wonderful, friendly volunteers; an excellent race atmosphere from top to bottom; fan-friendly viewing stations (without moving more than a few feet you can see people at the start, 17 mile mark, and finish); a decently hard but not too hard course and wonderful amenities abound make the Frederick Marathon one of the best marathons out there.
Oh yeah, Mike Wardian. Pushing the stroller with two hands because of the wind (meaning he barely was able to use his upper body strength), this machine broke the Guinness Book of World Records time by 7 minutes to run a 2:42. I have to get him on a relay team!
So for all of you out there who promised donations based on each person I passed, multiply whatever it is you said you would give by 705 runners. That was the number of people who started before me who finished the race. Aren’t you glad you didn’t wager a dollar per person?
Special thanks to all my friends and family for their support, to the Frederick Marathon and to Ferris Baker Watts for making me the Charity Chaser. A similar event may be in the working, so stayed tuned!
A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 2; 7th Edition
165 miles raced in 2007
Race: Frederick Marathon (and 5k)
Place: Frederick, MD
Miles from home: 49
Course Difficulty: 5.5 out of 10
Course Enjoyability: 7 out of 10
Weather: 50-60s; swirling winds
Finishers' Medal: 8 out of 10 Donations To Date: ~41k
I had little reason to believe this marathon would be anything but a fun run even (given various circumstances, some you know, some you do not) though I knew I would, as always, give it my all. Luckily, I know races put on by the Frederick Marathon people are always good events.
As you may have known, this was the race where I would be participating as a Charity Chaser. Basically, I would start as the absolute last person to cross the start line and for every runner who I beat to the finish, Ferris Baker Watts would not only give a donation to the United Way of Frederick but also to my own charity, L’Arche Mobile. This idea came about in talks with the race directors of the Frederick Marathon, Rachel Ridgway and Larry Herman. Two nicer people would be hard to come across. I cannot say enough good things about them, both as humans and as runners and race directors.
So I arrived in Frederick the day before the race and was treated just as well as I had been one week earlier when I arrived in Seoul. I am still getting used to this “elite” treatment and don’t think I ever will. Nevertheless, I accepted it graciously. While milling around and conversing I saw someone signing up for the 5k to be held Saturday night the night before the race. I turned towards Rachel and said, “Hey, can I do that?” She said sure and before Christine (my travel partner for the weekend and who was also running the marathon as well) could protest, I was signed up. What the heck, I thought. It had been over a year and a half since I had run 5k but I was itching to at least give it a try. So, I went home, rested up for a little bit, donned my race gear earlier than expected and headed back down to the Frederick Keys baseball stadium.
The 5k:
While the race directions were being given, the big inflatable stating line came crashing down (video of it can be seen HERE.) With complete poise, Rachel looked at it and said, “Don’t worry.” Within thirty seconds, the gate was blown back up and no one would have known a thing if they had not seen it.
Before the start of the 5k, I had promised Christine, who was looking out for my well-being, to run no faster than an 18:59. I wanted to run a nice even pace to get my legs warmed up and also wanted to have a respectable time. It had been years since I ran a “fast” 5k and one of my goals this year is to break my PR in every distance. So this race would be a barometer of how well I could do, in a reserved manner. Heck, I had a marathon the next day to run! Christine knew I was exhausted from my trip to Seoul plus a taxing week at work so I appreciated her concern.
When the gun went off I figured I would finish in the top ten or so and planned on that. Before a mile had gone by I could see I could do better. Much better.
With a quick sprint down the parking lot and across the street, we had two laps in a local cemetery, then back across the street. Following the warning track of the Frederick Keys baseball stadium from right field to left, we finished on the third base line. I am so glad I did this 5k as the previous year the marathon came in at right field and made a direct beeline down the first-base line. Few things are worse than thinking you are going to be done and realizing there is another 200 yards or so. So, now I knew that the end of the marathon would be the same way, which made my decision to run the 5k wise.
What probably was not wise was finishing second overall in a time of 18:22. Whoops! Christine just shook her head. I got a kick out of it.
The Marathon:
If you read my recap last year, I had expressed some wariness over the Frederick Marathon course which appeared to have about 87 turns in it. Normally, I would not have been too bothered by this (being a relative novice and all) but the previous week I had not been directed the correct way (or simply missed a turn) and had ended up running longer than I needed to in order to finish. So the puzzle-like course appeared to be a recipe for disaster. I was glad to be wrong. In fact, the direct quote from my recap last year was:
“A great course that was well marked (a little trepidation on my part after seeing the seemingly complex route map) and extremely well staffed (race volunteers had shirts that said: "OBEY ME" emblazoned on the front; there was no mistaking where you needed to go)”
Well, nothing changed this year except the color of the OBEY ME shirts (red to blue), and in spite of a few differences in the course, almost everything else was even better.
The Course:
The Frederick Marathon course is not easy. It is most assuredly not hard either. It contains many rolling hills but rarely are those hills difficult and are often encountered after long stretches of straight flat running where the opportunity to work some different muscles is welcome. I have long felt that an entirely flat course does not lend itself to being the fastest. Again, I am no sports exercise medical type person (that is the correct term, right?) but that is what I have found through the running of 68 marathons. By continuing to use the exact same muscles with no deviation, it does not take a PhD. to figure out those muscles will get extremely tired, while others, which are not used, could provide relief. So the rolling hills of this race are exactly that without being too taxing.
The course begins in nearly the exact same place as the 5k; right outside the Frederick Keys Minor League baseball stadium, which, as I mentioned before, is also where you finish the race. You run through the parking lot, and make a loop outside of the stadium. You then begin winding through some scenic little parts of downtown Frederick with its quaint narrow streets and shops on either side, all of which looked family owned and decades old.
A twist and a turn here, and a loop into some neighborhood there and around mile 10.5 you get a chance to see runners behind you around mile 7.5. With a few of those rolling hills thrown in you get to both feel a little bit of fatigue going up, but elation going down as the marathon gives back just as much as it takes, if not more.
Through the halfway point the half-marathoners peel off and it gets a little more desolate for a few miles as you run near the Frederick High School and then into the beautifully somber Mt. Olivet Cemetery (where Francis Scott Key is buried). This quiet is broken as you emerge on the other side, right next to the stadium where you started, which also happens to be mile 17. A little bit of a tease at this point since you still have 9 miles to go, this leg allows spectators to gather and cheer as you pass by without moving far from the start/finish at all.
The loneliest part of the marathon begins here where the runners are fewer between than before and the crowds are far more sparse. Runners travel through some back roads near open fields and along some highways. Traffic is blocked off so you needn’t worry about breathing fumes or cars zooming by but somehow some hardy spectators still were able to make it out to cheer runners on.
A few more hills at the end, which would not be all that bad if not for something I will tell you soon (as it has nothing to do with the “course”), lead you to the last turn before you go up, down ,up, down two overpasses, around a bend, through a parking lot and then into the Stadium. A cheering crowd and a wonderful announcer who tries to grab as many names as he can from runner’s bib numbers welcomes you as you circle the warning track. A really nice race through and through course-wise.
My Race:
First 4 miles:
Standing still when the gun went off was one of the weirdest things I have experienced. Still wearing my sweatshirt which declared I was the “Charity Chase” (the weather was chillier than predicted; MUCH to our happiness), I did not even begin to think about taking it off for about two minutes, as hordes of people streamed by. Finally, I peeled it off to feel the brisk morning air and handed it to Robin, the wonderful person with Ferris Baker Watts who had been my personal liaison for the past day. I had just enough time to high-five Christine as she ran by to begin her marathon before I was pulled aside to be part of a quick photo for someone who wanted me holding the sweatshirt. Just got a race to do behind me, but ok!
Christine was coming back from an injury about a year ago as well as trying to erase some Frederick Marathon demons. You see, her first marathon ever was here at Frederick when it was held in March a few years back. Here in the greater DC area, even in March, you do not expect to get hit with what they did that morning: a freak snow storm! The funny thing is, a week earlier, when she had been part of the now-defunct D.C. Marathon (which folded a week before it was supposed to be run), the weather was perfect for a marathon. So she was here after running through the streets of New York in November simply enjoying the race (and darn near breaking her PR) to give it all she could. She had expressed some concern about her training but I knew she was far better off than she thought.
So finally, three minutes and 18 seconds after the gun went off, with the police car who was supposed to bring up the rear looking at me as if to say: “You gonna go?” (I wanted to wait a few more seconds to let the runners clear out a smidgen so I would not be caught in the congestion), I was off.
My goodness. That’s about all I can say. Weaving and bobbing, running on the grass, sidewalks, and curbs, I tried to pick my way through the masses at the end of the pack. I have only experienced “pack running” about three times in a marathon previously (Marine Corps in 2004, Boston in 2005 and New York last fall) and that never lasted more than a few hundred yards. However, this race took me nearly 3 miles of running to get clear of a bulk of the runners. In the meantime, I received lots of “Waytogo”s and “Do I get my $2 back if I pass you?” as I weaved through the crowd.
To be honest, I had an idea of setting a personal best myself but that quickly evaporated as I knew it would be very hard given the extra energy I was expending picking my way through lots of runners. I then decided to just enjoy it and start seeing each runner in front of me as a dollar sign.
Mile 10.5:
As I mentioned, if you were a few miles in front of friends you knew you would have a good chance of seeing them at this straightaway where runners passed each other on either side of the road. As luck would have it, even though she said she saw me as I passed by in the initial three miles, I got to see Christine for the first time here. She looked good. I was extremely pleased. I think I wanted her to do well more than I wanted for myself. For people who only run a few marathons a year, the importance and success/failure of one race weigh greater than with those constant ‘thoners like me. For example, Seoul was tough but I knew I had a chance of redemption 6 days later.
By this point, I had passed a vast majority of the people I would pass on the day and it was just a matter of maintaining pace and picking people off here and there. I was mostly running with half-marathoners and relay people but I used them as motivation to keep me going strong.
Mile 17:
After seeing my friend Mike Wardian pushing a stroller with his son inside (he was going for the World Record for fastest marathon pushing a stroller) as well as a girl running in a bikini (yep, a string bikini) I knew I was going to have not too many more people to pass. As it ends up, the girl in the bikini was a young girl of 23 named Jenn Shelton who is just a flat out AMAZING runner. She would finish in 2:53, beating the next female by nearly 18 minutes. We spoke after the race where she and, what I presume is her boyfriend Billy (who finished 4th overall with a 2:47) chatted for quite sometime. I did some research on both when I got home to supplement what we had talked about, and this 23 year old pair’s tenacity on the ultramarathon courses is in stark contrast to their wonderful genial nature and easy smiles. So glad I had a chance to meet them. (A quick search showed me Jenn ran a sub 15 hour 100 mile race at Rocky Raccoon last year. In contrast, in my first 100 miler this June I hope to break 20 hours…just barely! You can see I am not even giving these two the credit they deserve.)
After the jaunt through the high school area, we passed through another shopping district and into the cemetery. The aforementioned sereneness overtook me and even though a mile back I felt tired I was rejuvenated here. Popping out near the stadium to cheering crowds brought me back to reality and invigorated me even more. I passed a pack of five runners and chased down one girl who I knew was in the relay. I just wanted to beat her to her hand-off person. Mission accomplished, I focused on the remaining 9 miles.
Mile 22:
This next span of miles was wonderful. I began to pick off a few runners here and there and was beginning to quicken my pace. (KaleRunning.com did the timing and it was very thorough. For example, we received split times for each one of the relay stations. For the first 6.4 miles my pace was 6:58 per mile; from there to the halfway point I ran a 6:46 average; and my average mile time from the half-way point to the 17.4 mile mark was 6:45. You can see I was not lying when I said I felt that I was picking up!)
I did not tell you my average for the last 8 plus miles for a reason. You see, I have yet to mention the swirling wind that surrounded us all day; I did not want anyone to think that it was part of the “course”. Having run this race last year with little to no wind, the course cannot be blamed for some freaky conditions such as wind out of nowhere. In fact, for the first few miles after 17 it was helpful, or at the very least, not ALL that bothersome. Sure, we had some headwind and some swirling conditions (both Christine and I commented on how we were glad we wore sunglasses if only for the reason that it blocked the flowing debris) but it was not much of a hindrance until later. How bad?
As I turned the corner at the mile 22 marker, I still had a chance to set a new PR and go sub-3. A 2:55 was out of the question and has become quite elusive lately but I knew I had a sub-3 in me. I had been running faster and faster (as shown by my splits above) and I felt strong. In fact, I inwardly commented on how strong I felt so late in the game. With a relatively flat finish I knew I had a lot left in the tank to make that push. But then the wind happened.
I checked the weather reports and during the finish of the marathon winds were blowing in our faces at a sustained 21 mph. I can tell you right now that the assessment of the winds was 100% accurate and included gusts approaching, if not exceeding, 35mph. I am talking the stand-you-straight-up kind of wind. And I am 180 lbs. Even with my ears it takes a lot of wind to knock me back. But knock me back it did. As I am counting on you to not be able to do the math quick enough for me to finish this recap in order to get my finish time (although some of my sneakier friends have cheated and looked anyway) I will tell you those 6:40s turned into 7:40s and beyond. Even though the first four miles from 17.4 were flying, the wind flat out took its toll from mile 22 to almost the finish. My average mile for that stretch? 7:19.
The one saving grace was one of the main things I have advocated for every marathon since I started running and the Frederick Marathon did it both last year and this year. I am talking about water and Gatorade EVERY MILE the last 10k. It is impossible to describe to non-marathoners how important a well-hydrated course in the last 6 miles is. Sure liquid and all is important throughout the race, but as any marathoner knows, the race begins at 20 miles. And the Frederick Marathon knows that and handles it perfectly. This is just amazing to me that it is not done more often.
Even though my salt-encrusted shirt would say I needed more than I took, I still knew that not only was the liquid going to be there, but so would the small cheering station of volunteers who mans those stations. The combination of cheers and liquid made even the worst winds palatable.
So while my time slipped away, I was able to do my very best to keep on and pass one or two more people.
Finish:
With about ¾ mile to go I got passed by the first person to pass me all day. I was ticked. Earlier in the race, one of the guys I had passed had decided to draft off of me (meaning he was using me to break the wind for him), which made me think: “Seriously? You are going to draft off of the Charity Chaser?” It took me a few minutes to shake him but I did eventually. Other than him, no one I passed mounted any threat to overtake me whatsoever. But here, this guy had come from nowhere to fly by me.
Over the last two overpasses we went and I kept him in my sights the whole time. I hadn’t looked at my watch in minutes on end. I just wanted to beat this guy. Down through the parking lot and into the stadium we went. I was about 10 yards behind him but I could not close the gap. Around the warning track we went and I could feel I was gaining ever so slightly but did not know if I had enough race distance left. Turning at the outfield and down the third base line we went. I finally knew I had him.
As the finish line photo will show (and this will be one I am sure I will buy), I beat him by abut two feet. Or two more dollars from the sponsor. I crossed the line in 3:03:22, which was good enough for my third fastest time ever. I was quite pleased.
With a cheering crowd reacting to both this duel and the words of the announcer telling them I had passed hundreds of people and therefore raised hundreds of dollars for not only L’Arche Mobile but also the United Way of Frederick, I was beaming. I was also sore. And I had unfinished business. So I got a quick massage, grabbed a bottle of water and headed back onto the course. For I had told Christine that if I could, I would run back out and try to help her finish.
As I walked off the soreness (“running” right now was not in the cards) and cheered everyone else coming into the finish, my mind went back to the last mile where I had seen Christine. She looked so strong and, by my calculations, WAY ahead of her best time ever. I knew she had a few miles to go and I simply did not have the heart (or the energy) to tell her about the winds she would be encountering soon. All I could do was hope she weathered them well and pray they did not take too much out of her.
I walked over the two overpasses and before I knew it, there she was. I looked at my watch and thought: “No way!” I ran down to her and trying to block the swirling wind as much as I could (with little success) and began to pace her back to the finish. Or, get in her way, the choice is yours (one time she put a hand on my back and said: Run faster!”). Picking up another girl named Erin we had a little train going. Erin had a friend on a bike coaching her along as well so we motored along. We all began cheering for each other. Back down the hill through the parking lot and into the stadium we went. I left a smiling Christine as we both knew she was going to PR. By how much was the only question remaining.
As she finished on the third base line, she raised her hands and smiled a smile which could be seen by me on the other side. She had set a personal best by nearly THIRTEEN MINUTES!! Lord knows what she would have done if not for that wind!
So as you can see, I had a good race weekend. I spoke with Larry and Rachel after the race and said the only thing I would change would be the last few miles. As the course runs in open fields it lends itself to being subject to the weather far worse than it could if run next to buildings or a tree line. But that was my only complaint. Wonderful, friendly volunteers; an excellent race atmosphere from top to bottom; fan-friendly viewing stations (without moving more than a few feet you can see people at the start, 17 mile mark, and finish); a decently hard but not too hard course and wonderful amenities abound make the Frederick Marathon one of the best marathons out there.
Oh yeah, Mike Wardian. Pushing the stroller with two hands because of the wind (meaning he barely was able to use his upper body strength), this machine broke the Guinness Book of World Records time by 7 minutes to run a 2:42. I have to get him on a relay team!
So for all of you out there who promised donations based on each person I passed, multiply whatever it is you said you would give by 705 runners. That was the number of people who started before me who finished the race. Aren’t you glad you didn’t wager a dollar per person?
Special thanks to all my friends and family for their support, to the Frederick Marathon and to Ferris Baker Watts for making me the Charity Chaser. A similar event may be in the working, so stayed tuned!
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